U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was carjacked Monday night by three armed attackers, according to a statement released by his office.
Cuellar was held at gunpoint while robbers demanded his car and luggage in the Navy Yard area of Southeast Washington, about a mile from the U.S. Capitol.
“As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement,” read a statement by Cuellar’s chief of staff, Jacob Hochberg.
Police have recovered Cuellar’s vehicle but are still searching for the suspects.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, talks to reporters about the carjacking.
“Three guys came out of nowhere and they pointed guns at me…they said they wanted my car.”
“I said sure, you got to keep calm in those situations.”
— Reena Jade Diamante (@reenajade) October 3, 2023
“Three guys came out of nowhere and they pointed guns at me…they said they wanted my car,” Cuellar told Spectrum News DC. “I said sure. You got to keep calm in those situations.”
“They recovered the car. They recovered everything. What really got me upset was they took my sushi,” he added. “I do want to thank the Capitol Police and I certainly want to thank the Metro Police. I’m a big law enforcement person.”
According to their reports, the incident occurred about 9:30 p.m. at New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE.
The redeveloped area is home to dozens of Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
This is the second time a member of Congress has been assaulted in the District of Columbia this year.
In February, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was attacked in her Washington apartment building.
She escaped by throwing hot coffee at her attacker.
Although she did not have serious injuries, she did suffer serious bruises.
In June, Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, pleaded guilty in Craig’s case to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers.
Craig’s chief of staff said the attack wasn’t politically motivated.
Congressman Cuellar’s incident comes as the District of Colombia battles a rise in crime.
More than 650 carjackings have already been reported in D.C. this year – that number is up from the 485 auto thefts from last year.
Homicides are up nearly 30%.
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