Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was carjacked at gunpoint Monday outside his Washington, DC, apartment building, according to his office.
The 68-year-old south Texas lawmaker was unharmed during the incident in DC’s trendy Navy Yard neighborhood at approximately 9:32 p.m., according to DC’s Metropolitan Police Department.
“As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle,” Cuellar’s Chief of Staff Jacob Hochberg told The Post.
“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.”
Cuellar was reportedly outside “a dorm building in which dozens” of House members live, according to Axios reporter Andrew Solender, who cited a group chat used by the lawmakers that occupy the building.
Three men reportedly held guns to Cuellar’s head as they took his phone and vehicle, which was parked on the street, according to the group chat.
An MPD crime alert of the incident says police are on the lookout for “ three black males wearing all black clothing” that made off with the congressman’s white Honda CHR with Texas tags.
The alert warns the public to “not take action” but instead call 911 if the vehicle or suspects are spotted.
Capitol Police told The Post that the armed carjacking is being investigated by DC police and USCP investigators.
“Injuries were not reported. Detectives are working to track down the suspects,” a spokesperson for USCP said.
The incident is the latest in series of violent crimes in the District this year that have affected members of Congress or their staff.
In February, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was assaulted in the elevator of her northeast DC apartment building by a homeless man with a long wrap sheet. She suffered bruises as a result of the attack and got away by tossing her hot morning coffee at the assailant.
The following month, a staffer for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was brutally attacked in broad daylight by a knife-wielding assailant in DC, on the same street where Craig was assaulted.
The staffer, 26-year-old Phillip Todd, suffered serious injuries in the attack, including multiple stab wounds to the head and chest.
In June, a staffer for Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) was attacked at gunpoint near Nationals Park in Washington, DC, just hours after the conclusion of the annual Congressional Baseball Game.
That staffer suffered minor injuries in the attack, which occurred in the same neighborhood where Cuellar was carjacked.
To date, 750 carjackings have been reported in DC this year alone, with 75% involving a firearm.
That is a 115% increase in the number of carjackings from this time last year, according to DC police crime statistics.
