TX Congressman Carjacked In DC; FBI, MPD, Capitol Police Investigate

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was carjacked by three men Monday night less than a mile from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., according to reports.

On Tuesday, Cuellar was back at work and joked about the frightening experience, adding that the men "came out of nowhere, and they pointed guns at me," the Associated Press reported.

“I looked at one with a gun, another with a gun, and I felt one behind me,” Cuellar told the AP. “They said they wanted my car, and I said, ‘Sure.’ You got to keep calm under those situations, and they took off.”

U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the incident in concert with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and the FBI Washington Field Office.

“We have a number of leads,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, in a release. “Our investigators are focused, determined and working around the clock.”

Around 9:30 p.m., a USCP agent in the area of New Jersey Avenue and K Street, Southeast notified USCP communications that a witness had reported the carjacking to them.

Cuellar told police that three men wearing masks and dressed in black clothing approached him, according to police.

They then "swarmed" the congressman's vehicle, pointed firearms at him, and then demanded his car keys.

The suspects were described by a witness as three Black men, each about 5-foot-10 and around the age of 16, based on their build, police say. The men were dressed all in black, wearing ski masks and knit cpas.

USPC officers on routine patrol around the Capitol Complex, rushed to the scene of the carjacking. Canvassing the neighborhood around the Capitol, officers found Cuellar's stolen cellphone in the 2000 block of 14 Street, Southeast.

With MPD's help, the congressman's white Toyota Crossover was located in the 2600 block of Douglas Road, Southeast, where it had been abandoned.

Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg released the following statement on Monday night: “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.”

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.