On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump declared his intention to grant a “full and unconditional” pardon to Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas and his spouse, Imelda Cuellar, regarding a federal case involving bribery and conspiracy.

Congressman Cuellar, a conservative Democrat who has held a House seat since 2005, and his wife faced federal charges last year, including bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy. Prosecutors alleged in the indictment that the couple accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities—an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City—through a scheme conducted from 2014 to late 2021.

The indictment claimed that Henry and Imelda Cuellar “agreed to perform official acts in his capacity as a Member of Congress, to commit acts in violation of his official duties, and to act as an agent of the Government of Azerbaijan” in return for the bribes. Both have maintained their innocence.

In his announcement of the Cuellars’ pardon, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating: “For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them.” He added, “One of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe.’”

Cuellar expressed his gratitude to Trump in a post on X.

“This pardon provides us with a clean slate. The distractions have ceased. The work persists. And I plan to address it directly,” Cuellar stated.

Accompanying Trump’s post were images of a letter from Cuellar’s daughters, Christine and Catherine, dispatched the previous month. The letter asserted that “our parents are good, decent people who have spent their lives giving more than they’ve taken,” and implored the President to extend “mercy and compassion” to their parents.

Additionally, the Cuellars’ daughters highlighted their father’s advocacy for a secure border and robust immigration enforcement, a stance Trump acknowledged in his pardon announcement.

They wrote, “He has never been afraid to speak his mind, especially when it comes to protecting the people of South Texas and securing the border from the policies of the previous administration.”

Cuellar, whose South Texas district borders the Rio Grande—a common crossing point for migrants entering the country—has frequently voiced criticism of Biden’s border policies.

In 2021, commenting on the Biden Administration, he stated, “They have to show that they can stop some of the flow coming in, because if we look at the root problems, corruption, crime and all that, that’s going to take years. But we have to show a way that we can slow down the number of people coming in from Central America.” He continued, “If we don’t do this … I can tell you that the areas that I represent, the border communities, they’re frustrated. I’m telling you, they are frustrated.”

The subsequent year, he criticized the Administration’s choice to terminate Title 42, a public health emergency measure initiated by the Trump Administration that allowed the government to deport migrants without enabling them to seek asylum.

He told Fox News Digital in an interview at the time: “You look at the polls. The Republican voters are not happy by what’s happening at the border. The Democratic voters are not happy. And if you look at the independent voters, they’re not happy about this decision. So who are we trying to please?”

Cuellar also commented on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s move to transport thousands of migrants by bus to major U.S. cities during the Biden Administration, noting that Abbott “played this very well politically.”

“Typically, discussions about border security originate from individuals not living near the border. However, once migrants began arriving in New York and Chicago, others started to experience what we have long endured. It became a tangible reality for them.”

In 2021, Cuellar co-authored a border security bill with Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas aimed at increasing funding for the Department of Homeland Security; however, the proposal did not gain sufficient support.

Nevertheless, the Texas Democrat, who serves as the ranking member of the House’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, has also voiced opposition to Trump’s proposed border wall. Cuellar opposed the wall’s construction, instead advocating for “more effective alternatives, such as modernizing land ports of entry and our security infrastructure, bolstering U.S. Border Patrol vehicles and checkpoints, and increasing border patrol agent salaries to reduce attrition,” as stated on his official platform.

Last month, Cuellar commented, “Border walls are a 14th-century solution to 21st-century problems.”

Cuellar informed reporters that he “didn’t know that this was coming” and responded “no” when questioned about any potential agreement with the White House.

Current political analysis presently considers the contest for Cuellar’s seat among the most competitive for 2026. On Wednesday, the congressman submitted his candidacy for re-election as a Democrat. When asked if he would switch parties after receiving the pardon, he replied in the negative.

“As I mentioned, nothing has changed,” he informed reporters.