Congressman Henry Cuellar carjacked at gunpoint in Washington

ByRachel Scott, Luke Barr, Beatrice Peterson, and Jack Date

October 2, 2023, 9:11 PM

(ABC) -- Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked at gunpoint Monday night near his residence in the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C. just blocks from the Capitol.

An alert sent to congressional members stated three to four men held guns to his head and took his car and phone, sources told ABC News.

Cuellar's chief of staff, Jacob Hochberg, confirmed the carjacking news in a statement to ABC News late 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. Thank you to Metro PD and Capitol Police for their swift action and for recovering the Congressman’s vehicle,” his statement read.

The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. did not confirm the victim's identity.

In a statement to ABC News the department said: "There was a report of an armed carjacking that came in at approximately 9:32 pm at the intersection of New Jersey and K Street, Southeast. We do not have victim information at this time."

As of Sunday, there were 750 carjackings in Washington, 75% of which involved guns, per D.C. Police.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.