Southwest
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as Cuellar’s brother faces indictment
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The Texas border town sheriff and brother of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was pardoned by President Trump earlier this year after the Biden Justice Department indicted him on federal bribery charges, is now facing his own public corruption charges.
Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar Jr. was indicted after he and his assistant chief, Alejandro Gutierrez, allegedly used public funds, staff and resources to run a for-profit disinfecting business called Disinfect Pro Master during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Justice Department (DOJ).
Disinfect Pro Master entered into service agreements with local businesses, even a school district, but allegedly never had any employees or supplies of its own. The school district contract secured Cuellar and Gutierrez a half million dollars, but the DOJ said they completed the work using county staff and resources.
Cuellar is a border town sheriff out of Laredo, Texas, which is also part of his brother’s congressional district. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were recently pardoned by President Trump after they were accused by the Biden administration DOJ of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan government-controlled oil and gas company and a Mexico City-headquartered bank.
WATCH: DEM LAWMAKER THANKS TRUMP FOR PARDON, SAYS IT CAME AS A SURPRISE AMID RE-ELECTION BID
Democrat Congressman from Texas Henry Cuellar, left, and Webb County, Texas Sheriff Martin Cuellar, right, pictured in 2019. (Gilles Mingasson and Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In a statement released by the sheriff after he appeared in court this week, Cuellar vehemently defended himself and insisted that he would be “fully vindicated.”
“Over the course of my career — as a Texas State Trooper, a narcotics Sergeant investigator, Narcotics Lieutenant and now as your Sheriff — I have learned the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and I know what I did and did not do,” the statement says.
“While this process moves forward, I ask the public to let the facts — not rumors, not speculation — guide their judgement. My responsibility remains the same as it was yesterday and the day before. … I remain fully engaged in my duties and in communication with the community. Public safety does not pause, and neither does my commitment to this office.”
Congressman Cuellar’s office also released a statement echoing his brother’s comments, adding that he has “a deep respect for the law” and would be vindicated in the end.
“Under our constitution, he is innocent until proven guilty,” the congressman’s statement said. “My brother Martin has served our community as a peace officer for more than forty years with integrity, professionalism, and a deep respect for the law. He is an honest man.”
TRUMP ENDORSES CUELLAR OPPONENT AFTER PARDONING DEM REP
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, right, arrives for a meeting of House Democrats on Capitol Hill. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
If convicted, Sheriff Cuellar could face up to 10 years in federal prison and could incur up to a $250,000 fine. Cuellar was also charged with money laundering, which would carry an additional maximum 10-year sentence and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of money involved in the transactions, according to the DOJ.
President Trump previously said he had pardoned Congressman Cuellar because he believed the Biden DOJ had been weaponized against him for speaking out against the former president’s open border policies. Trump also indicated he was influenced by a letter from the congressman’s daughter urging him to grant her father and mother clemency.
However, after Cuellar decided a few days later to run for re-election as a Democrat, the president had some choice words for him.
“Such a lack of LOYALTY,” Trump subsequently posted on his platform, Truth Social.
President Donald Trump, right, said Rep. Henry Cuellar, left, running for re-election was a “great act of disloyalty.” (Alex Brandon/AP; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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When reached for comment, the White House referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department.
“The Cuellar Crime Family will screw over small businesses and local schools if it means enriching themselves,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Zachary Kraft said.
“South Texans deserve leaders focused on serving taxpayers, not those focused on finding new ways to illegally funnel money into their own pockets,” he continued. “Voters are going to send a strong message in November that they’ve had enough of the family who puts their self-interests above South Texas values.”
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A 48-year-old man who led law enforcement on a dangerous pursuit lasting more than an hour is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of a man and a woman at an upscale Pomona apartment complex Thursday, police announced.
Officers with the Pomona Police Department responded to the Monterey Station Apartments, located at 180 E. Monterey Ave., near North Garey Avenue, just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting, according to a department news release.
Police, along with responding Los Angeles County firefighters, found the two victims in a fourth-floor apartment.
Paramedics immediately began life-saving measures, but both victims were ultimately declared dead at the scene, investigators said.
Neighbors told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade that the suspected shooter, Robert Galtman of Pomona, shot his girlfriend and another resident of the apartment complex.
“He shot the girl, that was the girlfriend,” one woman, a resident of the building who did not want to give her name, told KTLA. “I know them because he had tried to hit on me and told me the situation that she was beating him up and that she cheated on him with this guy, the one that was killed.”
Authorities were searching Galtman, who was believed to be in dark-colored sedan that fled the apartments northbound on Towne Avenue near Holt Avenue.
Just before 5 p.m., officers with the California Highway Patrol spotted his vehicle traveling northbound on the 5 Freeway, officials confirmed to KTLA. When officers attempted a traffic stop, he failed to yield and led authorities on a high-speed pursuit that lasted more than an hour.
During the pursuit, he made a U-turn on the freeway and headed southbound before exiting in Castaic and taking Lake Hughes Road through the hills toward the Antelope Valley.
Sky5 was over the dangerous chase as Galtman was seen tossing unknown items from the vehicle, including some type of liquid, swerving dangerously onto the shoulder and refusing to stop as at least four CHP units followed closely behind.
He initially dodged several spike strips deployed by officers, at one point driving on the shoulder in Lancaster before clipping one of the strips with the vehicle’s left side, causing both tires to deflate.
Still refusing to stop, Galtman continued at about 30 mph until a CHP officer accelerated and performed a PIT maneuver that spun the vehicle and disabled it.
He was quickly surrounded by officers with guns drawn but did not immediately comply.
Following law enforcement commands, Galtman exited the vehicle, surrendered and was taken into custody.
The identities of the two victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Authorities have not released a motive in the deadly shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Pomona Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 909-620-2085.
A stand-up comedian is set to face criminal charges in the first case filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s newly created Business Tax Fraud Unit, officials announced Thursday.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant is comedian and actor Carlos Mencia. District Attorney Nathan Hochman is scheduled to announce the charges during a 2 p.m. news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles.
Officials have not yet disclosed the nature of the charges.
The prosecution marks the first case brought by the Business Tax Fraud Unit, a specialized division created under Hochman’s administration to investigate and prosecute tax-related crimes involving businesses.
Mencia, whose real name is Ned Arnel Mencia, rose to fame through his stand-up comedy career and as the host of the Comedy Central series Mind of Mencia.
The comedian has previously faced tax-related issues. In 2021, reports indicated that the Internal Revenue Service filed liens against three properties he owned in Georgia over more than $1 million in unpaid federal income taxes.
The District Attorney’s Office said Thursday’s announcement will be streamed live on its social media platforms.
No additional information about the case was immediately available Thursday morning.
KTLA will update this story following the district attorney’s announcement.
Multiple people were arrested after local and federal law enforcement agents descended upon L.A.’s MacArthur Park to carry out a nighttime narcotics enforcement operation.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) descended on the park at around 9 p.m.
Among the personnel who arrived at the scene was First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who joined authorities in overseeing the operation.
In a statement, LAPD said officers were “assisting our federal partners in a joint narcotics enforcement operation in the MacArthur Park area. This operation is focused solely on drug-related criminal activity. There is no connection to immigration enforcement.”
More than 100 law enforcement members were involved, including around 60 DEA agents and 55 LAPD officers. As officers converged on the park, many people were seen running away.
Six people were eventually taken into custody for felony drug charges.
Officials told KTLA’s Jillian Smukler that they intentionally waited until nightfall after frustrated business owners said that most of the visible drug activity occurred at night, following previous raids that took place much earlier in the day.
“We’ve been hearing that a lot of stuff has been moving to later in the day, so that’s why we’re coming out later in full force to show them that this is not a joke,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, a DEA spokesperson. “We are taking the park back for the people. This will happen. It’s going to take time, but it will happen.”
DEA agents are supporting LAPD efforts as part of a long-term strategy to eradicate a troubling increase in drug activity at MacArthur Park.
Authorities had targeted the park multiple times in the past for narcotics-related operations.
The latest incident occurred on June 4 as officers carried out a mission named “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” which involved serving arrest and search warrants in the area surrounding the park. Thirteen people were arrested for various offenses and officers recovered drug paraphernalia during the operation.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at the time that authorities were targeting the demand side of the drug trade, going after small-time drug dealers and the drug addicts who are using every day.
“I refuse to allow MacArthur Park to be a cemetery, and that’s what it’s been,” Hochman said. “Because we’ve had individual after individual after individual die of drug overdoses, so much so that the local fire department spends much more time trying to revive people with Narcan who are on death’s door than they do putting out fires in this area.”
Authorities told KTLA they will maintain a presence at the park and work to eliminate all drug activity, allowing the park to be a safe place for residents and visitors.
“We remain committed to keeping our communities safe and informed as this operation continues,” LAPD said.
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