Office of Public Affairs | U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar and His Wife Charged with Bribery, Unlawful Foreign Influence, and Money Laundering Schemes

An indictment was unsealed in the present day within the Southern District of Texas charging U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar, 68, and his spouse, Imelda Cuellar, 67, each of Laredo, Texas, with collaborating in two schemes involving bribery, illegal international affect, and cash laundering. Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar made their preliminary courtroom look in the present day earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Dena Palermo in Houston.

In line with courtroom paperwork, starting in a minimum of December 2014 and persevering with by a minimum of November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar allegedly accepted roughly $600,000 in bribes from two international entities: an oil and gasoline firm wholly owned and managed by the Authorities of Azerbaijan, and a financial institution headquartered in Mexico Metropolis. The bribe funds had been allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, by a sequence of entrance corporations and middlemen into shell corporations owned by Imelda Cuellar, who carried out little to no authentic work below the contracts. In trade for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gasoline firm, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to make use of his workplace to affect U.S. international coverage in favor of Azerbaijan. In trade for the bribes paid by the Mexican financial institution, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to affect legislative exercise and to advise and strain high-ranking U.S. Government Department officers concerning measures useful to the financial institution. 

Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are every charged with the next offenses and if convicted, face most penalties as indicated: two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a international principal, 5 years in jail on every depend; two counts of bribery of a federal official, 15 years in jail on every depend; two counts of conspiracy to commit trustworthy companies wire fraud, 20 years in jail on every depend; two counts of violating the ban on public officers performing as brokers of a international principal, two years in jail on every depend; one depend of conspiracy to commit concealment cash laundering, 20 years in jail; and 5 counts of cash laundering, 20 years in jail on every depend.

Principal Deputy Assistant Lawyer Common Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Division’s Felony Division; Assistant Lawyer Common Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Division’s Nationwide Safety Division; Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Felony Investigative Division; and Deputy Assistant Inspector Common Jason Loeffler and Particular Agent in Cost Chris Hileman of the Division of State Workplace of Inspector Common (DOS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI and DOS-OIG investigated the case.

Performing Deputy Chief Marco A. Palmieri, Performing Deputy Chief Rosaleen O’Gara, and Trial Lawyer Celia Choy of the Felony Division’s Public Integrity Part and Trial Lawyer Garrett Coyle of the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an affordable doubt in a courtroom of regulation.