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Can indicted South Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar survive corruption charges?

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Can indicted South Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar survive corruption charges?


WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar insists he has no intention of stepping down since being indicted on federal charges accusing him of taking nearly $600,000 in bribes.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Cuellar told reporters asking if he was contemplating resignation after the indictment was announced May 3. “Everybody’s innocent until proven otherwise and we are going to continue doing our job.”

He stood by that position this week after it was revealed federal prosecutors have secured guilty pleas from three people in connection with the case against him. He and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, are accused of participating in schemes involving bribery, illegal foreign influence and money laundering. Cuellar denies the allegations.

The federal indictment alleges the Democrat from Laredo accepted almost $600,000 in bribes to advance the interests of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico.

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The most serious charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

Former top Cuellar aide Colin Strother and political consultant Florencio Rendon are cooperating with the federal investigation, according to plea agreements filed in March.

Strother’s attorney declined comment. Rendon’s attorney said he could not immediately comment.

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The Associated Press reported this week that a third person pleaded guilty May 1 in Houston federal court to acting as an agent for Azerbaijan without registering with federal officials.

CNN confronted Cuellar on Capitol Hill this week about the guilty pleas, but the Texan said he isn’t going anywhere.

“We’re not afraid of the truth,” said Cuellar, who is on the November ballot as he seeks an 11th two-year term.

Other politicians have won reelection with pending indictments, including Ken Paxton, Texas’ Republican attorney general.

Two Republicans, Jay Furman and Lazaro Garza Jr., are competing in a May 28 runoff to determine who will face Cuellar in November.

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It is unclear how much Republicans will spend on the race, having seen challengers fall short in previous bids against the incumbent.

Cuellar faced a close call in the 2022 Democratic primary but won by 13.3 percentage points that November.

After the indictment was unsealed, the National Republican Congressional Committee pounced, calling for Cuellar’s fellow Democrats to push for his resignation. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., did so, but he’s a striking exception.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Thursday he had not rescinded his endorsement of Cuellar and he wanted to give the Texan time and space to “work out his legal situation” without wading into politics.

“I support Henry Cuellar’s right to a trial by jury,” Jeffries said. “He is innocent until proven guilty.”

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The George Santos precedent

The NRCC accused Democrats of hypocrisy for pressing to oust U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., over his own criminal charges.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, said it’s a sign of a healthy democracy when those in power are held to account. He pointed to an initial failed vote to kick out Santos, which Allred opposed, citing a lack of due process.

Allred joined others in voting for Santos’ successful expulsion on a subsequent vote, after the release of a scathing report by the Ethics Committee that cited “overwhelming evidence” Santos used campaign funds for personal purposes and committed other crimes.

There has been no such report on Cuellar.

“Due process still has to be observed,” Allred said.

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U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, noted Cuellar said he sought and received legal opinions from the Ethics Committee before taking actions cited in the indictment.

“As a criminal defense attorney, I always go with the presumption of innocence,” she said. “So I’m hoping for the best.”

Republicans not going after Cuellar

Many Republicans in Congress, including those from Texas, also are inclined to let the legal process play out for Cuellar, an occasional political ally.

After news of the indictment broke, several Texas Republicans cited Cuellar’s record of working on bipartisan measures and his penchant for breaking with his party over his opposition to abortion rights, support for tougher border security measures and other issues.

“I know Henry to be a really good man, and for whatever he’s going through, I feel sorry for him,” said U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park. “He’s well-liked. He’s a good man and he thinks a lot like conservatives do on certain issues.”

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Williams said he has been Cuellar’s friend for many years and remains one, noting that he served as Texas secretary of state after Cuellar held the position.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, also called the Democrat a friend.

“I know they’ve been coming after him for a while,” Jackson said. “They come after him, in part, because he does on occasion vote with us.”

U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, called Cuellar a “great member to work with” on issues from energy to agriculture.

Across the Capitol, both Republican U.S. senators from Texas spoke positively about working with Cuellar on various issues.

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Sen. Ted Cruz said the allegations are “serious” and “concerning,” but he also highlighted issues of agreement, such as streamlining approval of new U.S.-Mexico bridges across the Rio Grande and designating a new interstate corridor running from Laredo through West Texas.

“He has been a strong partner fighting for jobs in Texas, and together we’ve gotten a lot accomplished for the state,” Cruz said.

Cruz, who wrote a book accusing Democrats of “weaponizing” the justice system, said it’s fair to ask whether the case against Cuellar is politically motivated.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he’s enjoyed working with Cuellar and feels for him, but the matter is up to the courts.

“Henry has always been a bipartisan individual and he’s one of the very few pro-life [Democratic] House members and frankly, you know, you can see where he may be in disfavor by the current administration,” Cornyn said.

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3 women charged in Texas killing; video shows suspects smiling

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3 women charged in Texas killing; video shows suspects smiling


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Three women have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a mother of five in South Texas.

The Del Rio Police Department initially responded around 2:10 p.m. Thursday, June 25, to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report of a woman with multiple stab wounds. Upon arrival, officers determined the assault had occurred in the 800 block of East 10th Street.

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Del Rio police on Thursday, June 25, took into custody Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19, and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, in connection with the murder, according to the department’s media post.

The woman, identified as Caroline Peña, 32, according to KENS 5 in San Antonio, was transported to a medical facility in San Antonio for treatment but later died from her injuries.

According to the department, investigators gathered surveillance video, processed evidence, conducted numerous witness interviews and identified the three women as potentially being involved in the incident.

Two hours after responding to the initial call, officers located and arrested Kitty Diaz and Amaya Diaz without incident. Shortly after, officers located and arrested Kyandra Faz in connection with the investigation.

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Video captured during Kitty and Amaya’s arrests shows both women grinning as law enforcement places them in their police vehicles.

All three suspects were transported to the Del Rio Police Department for booking and processing. When investigators were notified of the women’s deaths, each was charged with murder and transported to the GEO Correctional Facility.

Del Rio police say the investigation remains ongoing, noting that additional charges may be filed at a later time.

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.



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After historic floods, Texas Hill Country Little League is back

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After historic floods, Texas Hill Country Little League is back


There’s nothing more quintessential to being a kid than playing Little League baseball, but on July Fourth, 2025, along with so much more, the Little League fields of Hill Country were destroyed, along with the innocence of thousands of kids who live here.  

With so much else to rebuild, a baseball season in 2026 seemed like more than a dream.  

But just like every other challenge, this community, with a little help from some major league friends, came together and did what some thought was impossible. They made sure that baseball was back, right on time for opening day this March.  

Fresh cut grass, chalk on dirt, and the familiar sound of strikes being thrown.

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It’s baseball season in Texas, opening day in fact.

“I could not go to sleep, I was just so excited. I got up early, took a shower, did my hair,” said Lilly Wirth, a softball player. 

And with opening day comes fanfare

But nothing about this march day was promised. Just eight months prior, this beautiful ballpark simply was washed away.  

“We had our last game July 2, and we closed up shop and were like, ‘We’ll come back kind of clean up maybe this weekend,’ kind of go through stuff, and we all know that did not happen,” said Amy Barnes, a mom and the concession stand manager.

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 Like almost everything else, the July Fourth flooding completely destroyed the Little League fields in Hunt.  

Barnes and Caroline Key are both moms in the Little League; Key coaches her kids’ teams. They thought they had lost their season, along with so much more.

“July 5, when we walked around, we were… stuck, we were devastated and sad and pretty bummed,” said Barnes.

“My daughter is a student at the Hunt school, and we lost two students from our community. In addition, we lost some of our friends too,” said Key.

“When we woke up in the morning, everything was wrecked. We had a pretty good view of where it happened… It was wrecked,” said Annie Key, Caroline Key’s daughter and a softball player.

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When asked how she felt after the floods, Annie Key said she was sad, “Cuz I lost some friends,” she said. 

“I had three sets of little eyes looking up, saying, ‘Where are we going to play next year?’ And we said we would figure it out,” said Barnes. 

Not playing ball was simply not an option. 

And that meant getting a little help from some major league friends.

“We came over to see what we could do to help and it became immediately evident that the fields were wiped out. Looking up over the hill there was really nothing left here. So, right then, I decided whatever we got to do to figure this out and get it done,” said Jim Crane, the owner of the Houston Astros.

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The Astros joined forces with the Texas Rangers, Communities Foundation of Texas and others to pitch in nearly $3 million to rebuild the fields so these kids didn’t miss a single pitch.

“This joy you feel today has been this pent-up joy this community has had for so long,” said Austin Dickson, the CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. 

That joy was bursting at the seams; the kids couldn’t wait for the ceremonial ribbons to be cut. They just wanted to play.

“Cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon,” the kids screamed.

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“Because of the people of what we had during the flood, I knew, I didn’t expect this, but I knew something would happen,” said Barnes.

And with every pitch thrown and ball hit, these kids are getting something back that was ripped away from them.

“If we can get a hot dog to a little kid, I mean, what else do you need besides baseball and hot dogs, right?” said Barnes. 

A chance to just be kids and play a little ball.

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Sisters, friend charged in Texas mom’s stabbing death

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Sisters, friend charged in Texas mom’s stabbing death


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Two sisters and a friend were charged with murder after a 32-year-old Texas mother of five was stabbed multiple times in broad daylight and later died, authorities said.

Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, were arrested Thursday on charges of murder in connection with the fatal attack, the Del Rio Police Department wrote in a press release posted to Facebook.

The victim was identified as Caroline “Caro” Peña, 32, according to local media reports.

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“She was one of those people that she was born to be a mom,” Peña’s childhood friend, Zelina Ochoa, told KENS 5, fighting back and wiping off tears. “She really loved being a mom.”

AUBURN GRAD WHO JUST LANDED DREAM JOB ALLEGEDLY SHOT AND KILLED BY BOYFRIEND’S FATHER IN ALABAMA

Kyandra Renee Faz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21 have been arrested for the murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)

Del Rio is a city of 35,000 in southwest Texas near the Mexican border.

Police said officers responded around 2:10 p.m. Thursday to Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report that a woman had arrived with multiple stab wounds from an assault at a busy intersection.

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“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley; this happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight,” Ochoa told KENS 5.

Because of the severity of her injuries, the woman was taken to a San Antonio medical facility for emergency treatment, police said. Investigators were notified around 9 p.m. that she had died after being stabbed twice in the back and a third time in her stomach.

BELFAST BURNS AFTER SUDANESE MIGRANT ARRESTED IN BRUTAL KNIFE ATTACK

Kyandra Faz, 21, was a friend of the pair of sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)

Detectives reviewed surveillance video, processed evidence and interviewed witnesses before identifying Kitty Diaz, Cookie Diaz and Faz as suspects, police said. Kitty Diaz and Cookie Diaz were arrested without incident around 4 p.m. local time Thursday, and Faz was arrested a short time later.

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Another friend, Christina Salinas, told the outlet she missed a call from Peña shortly before the stabbing and later recognized her in a photo suffering from the wounds circulating on a community page.

“I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her,” Salinas said. “It wouldn’t have gotten like that.”

Police have not publicly released a motive.

PENNSYLVANIA MOTHER OF THREE FATALLY SHOT WHILE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO PROTECT WOMAN OUTSIDE BAR: REPORT

Amaya Diaz, 19, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)

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Salinas said she rushed to the hospital and was able to say goodbye before Peña was flown to San Antonio.

“That girl, she was a fighter: She was still standing her ground,” Salinas said.

All three suspects were booked at the Del Rio Police Department before being transported to the GEO Correctional Facility, where police said they remained pending court hearings.

The investigation remains active, and police said additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence.

Kitty Diaz, 21, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)

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Peña is survived by her five children – the oldest a 17-year-old son – and a twin sister, according to reports.

“If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she’d give it to you,” Ochoa told KENS 5.



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