Armenian National Committee Backs Judge Tano Tijerina to Oust Corrupt Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has thrown its weight behind Webb County Judge Tano E. Tijerina in his campaign to unseat Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas’s 28th Congressional District. Cuellar, a Democrat and Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, is under federal indictment for allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijani government sources to promote Baku’s agenda in Congress.

“Judge Tijerina brings to this race the integrity, the faith, and the commitment to community that South Texas deserves — and that Washington has been denied by Henry Cuellar’s corrupt ties to Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. Cuellar’s decade-long record includes blocking U.S. support for Armenia and Artsakh, undermining Armenian security, and inserting pro-Azerbaijan language into legislation — all while pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars from foreign bribes, according to the Department of Justice.

Cuellar and his wife were indicted in May 2024 on charges including bribery, conspiracy, acting as unregistered foreign agents, and money laundering. Federal prosecutors revealed how Cuellar promised Azerbaijani contacts influence over U.S. foreign policy, delivered pro-Azerbaijan speeches on the House floor, and arranged meetings with U.S. defense officials — all in exchange for payments tracked by Azerbaijani diplomats who nicknamed him “el Jefe.”

Despite the indictment, former President Trump pardoned Cuellar in December 2025, a move the ANCA condemned as a “free pass for foreign bribery.” Trump later publicly rebuked Cuellar for “a lack of LOYALTY” after Cuellar announced he would run again as a Democrat, highlighting the political mess surrounding the congressman’s legal and ethical troubles.

Judge Tijerina, a native of Laredo and a three-term Webb County Judge, brings a contrasting record of public service and community commitment. His background includes leadership on public safety, mental health, infrastructure, and regional prosperity. He has also been active in missionary work aiding victims of sex trafficking and fighting religious repression — causes that resonate with ANCA’s advocacy for persecuted Christian communities worldwide.

“TX-28 is ground zero in the fight to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its foreign interference in American democracy,” said ANCA Texas Co-Chair Phil Kanayan. “Judge Tijerina understands what is at stake — not just for Armenian Americans in Texas, but for every voter in this district who was betrayed by a Congressman who sold his vote to a foreign government.”

The race is now a focal point for voters demanding accountability and an end to foreign influence peddling in Congress. With Texas’s newly redrawn congressional map making the district more competitive, Armenian Americans and allies nationwide are mobilizing to ensure Cuellar’s corrupt tenure ends.

For more about Judge Tano Tijerina, visit https://www.tanoforcongress.com/.