FBI agents were seen at the home and office of the campaign headquarters of Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), a frequent critic of President Joe Biden, January 19.
Photos shared by local reporters show agents at the Cuellar residence in Laredo clearing bags, trash cans and at least one computer.
Federal agents also visited Cuellar’s campaign headquarters.
In a statement to the media, the FBI said the bureau had “a presence in Laredo conducting court-sanctioned law enforcement activities.”
The FBI is unable to provide further comment on the current investigation.
A spokesman for Cuellar told the media, “Congressman Cuellar will cooperate fully in any investigation. He strives to ensure that justice and the law are upheld.”
Cuellar, 66, has represented Texas’s 28th congressional district since 2005. The county includes land adjacent to the US-Mexico border.
Considered a moderate, he has frequently criticized Biden’s lax immigration policies, which experts say have contributed to the spike in illegal immigration recorded since Biden took office a year ago.
Under a Democratic president, the highest number of detentions of illegal immigrants on the southwestern border was recorded in both a fiscal and a calendar year.
Shortly after being sworn in, Biden halted construction of the border wall, limited the use of expulsion powers in the era of the pandemic, and ordered officials to end the Stay in Mexico program, which has forced many asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their claim to be heard.
Some of the administration’s actions were blocked or overturned by the courts, but the number of arrests in December 2021 was higher than a month earlier, according to preliminary data provided in Customs and Border Protection court documents.
Lawyer Jessica Cisneros and educator Tania Benavidez are vying for Cuellar’s seat in the Democratic primary.
Kueller defeated Cisneros in the previous primary with about 2,700 votes.
Cisneros targeted Cuellar’s reputation and voting results, calling him “Trump’s favorite Democrat” and criticizing his willingness to work with Republicans on legislation.
Benavidez made similar criticisms, stating that the district should be represented by a more progressive Democrat.
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Zachary Stieber covers US news and stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is based in Maryland.
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