FILE – Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a hearing of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2024, in Washington. In a statement released Friday, May 3, Cuellar denied any wrongdoing amid reports of pending indictments related to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a federal probe into their ties with the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and were taken into custody.
It said they made an initial appearance before a federal judge in Houston and were each released on $100,000 bond.
Cuellar released a statement Friday denying any wrongdoing.
According to the federal indictment, the couple accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico in exchange for advancing the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S.
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