FBI Raid on Congressman’s Office, Home Reportedly Linked to Azerbaijan Corruption Probe

On Wednesday, FBI agents raided the home and campaign office of Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). At the time, all tight-lipped agents would say was that the raids were “court-authorized.”

Some Kind of Explanation

While details remain murky, ABC News reports that the FBI launched the raids as a part of an investigation into the relationship between powerful Azerbaijanis and U.S. businessmen.

It's unclear if the grand jury recently convened in Washington, D.C., has Cuellar himself in their crosshairs. We know that he serves as the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

Cuellar has represented Texas' Rio Grande Valley in Congress since 2005. Party activists have long considered him far too conservative on abortion, border security and immigration. (RELATED: US Officials Knew Truth About Migrant Surge and Did Nothing)

He Has a Primary in a Few Weeks

Like every other member of the U.S. House, Cuellar faces reelection in November. Instead of focusing on a highly-competitive primary challenge, he now faces the possibility of serious legal trouble.

Progressives want Cuellar gone, even though their far-left policies have alienated a growing number of Hispanic voters.

The raids against Cuellar's home and office came mere hours after receiving a coveted endorsement from Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

The Daily Mail has more on the fallout:

Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized in the past for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to secure its foreign policy aims and legitimize dubious election results.

The practice is so common in the country that it is known there as ‘caviar diplomacy,' but it is unclear whether the FBI is investigating any similar allegations in relation to Cuellar.

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Cuellar, who represents much of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their handling of a surge of illegal crossings at the border.

Cuellar said last month that he's done trying to work with ‘border czar' Harris on migration issues, as Border Patrol agents continue to record a surge in encounters with people crossing the border illegally.

Are Progressives Playing With Fire?

Cuellar's primary challenger, immigration and human rights attorney Jessica Cisneros wasted no time turning Cuellar's nightmare of a day to boost her fundraising numbers.

Cisneros previously touted her endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Justice Democrats.

Only a fool would deny Cisneros' threat to Cuellar in the primary. Indeed, he only beat her by three points in 2020.

Yet the culturally conservative Rio Grande Valley has moved away from Democrats. A far-left 28-year-old could lose to a Republican in Texas' 28th District if there's a crimson tsunami.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.