Cuellar says DC ‘more dangerous’ than his Texas district after carjacking

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said Washington, D.C., is “two or three times more dangerous” than his border district in Texas, a day after he was a victim of carjacking in the District on Monday.

In a Fox News interview Tuesday, Cuellar used the issue of crime to discuss the need to support law enforcement and border security.

“I’ve always said when I talk about the border, that there is an immigration crisis there. But I would say that when you look at the numbers of murders, rape, assaults at the border — let’s say in Laredo, Texas — I’ve always said that Washington is about two or three times more dangerous, and we certainly see it now,” Cuellar said.

“You know, I’ve got three brothers who are peace officers. One is a border sheriff. I’ve always supported the law enforcement. I think it’s important that we support law enforcement, because a society without law and order is not a society,” he continued.

Cuellar was carjacked outside his apartment in Navy Yard in Southeast Washington late Monday. He said three young men came behind him with guns and stole his vehicle. It was recovered by police hours later.

He said that some Democrats have gone too far in supporting movements to reduce police funding and backing some criminal justice reforms.

“I don’t believe in defunding the police,” he said. “I voted against what the Washington, D.C., Council did to lower penalties. I think that’s a wrong direction. I was one of 30 Democrats that we don’t feel that you affect crime by lowering the penalties. You ought to increase the penalty.”

That D.C. Council crime measure was overturned by Congress in March.

The congressman appeared to take the incident in stride Monday, complaining in jest that the worst part was having his sushi stolen. 

“It’s not pleasant to have guns pointed at your face. It’s not pleasant at all to have that,” he said in the Fox News interview. “But I have to say, look, every time you face a situation, I got my training where you got to stay calm, you got to understand what the situation is. I took the situation, I analyzed it. I took a calm way, because you don’t want to get three young punks with guns. You never know what they’re going to do.”

Cuellar said the carjackers had not been arrested as of late Tuesday.

Washington recently passed its 200th homicide this year, marking a 38 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022. Vehicle theft has also more than doubled so far this year, with over 5,400 total such thefts in 2023 as of Tuesday.