Nearly six months after being indicted on federal fraud charges, Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar is now facing an attempt to remove him from office.
Former Laredo City Council member Alfonso “Poncho” Casso filed the petition to remove Cuellar in Webb County district court last week, citing the federal indictment and other misconduct allegations. Casso’s filing, which was first reported by The Laredo Morning Times, asked the court to suspend the five-term South Texas sheriff from office pending a trial that seeks to permanently remove him from the post.
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Cuellar denied all allegations outlined in the petition and “demands strict proof,” according to a response filed in court on Friday. He already pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, which were unsealed in January.
Casso’s petition largely relies on the five-count indictment, which accuses Cuellar and two other people of misappropriating funds from the Webb County sheriff’s office during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They allegedly opened a private disinfecting business in April 2020 that operated “almost entirely with county employees and supplies,” including to complete a $500,000 contract cleaning schools in Laredo, according to the indictment. Cuellar then received around $175,000 and used it to purchase property in the area, according to federal prosecutors.
Rick Rodriguez, Cuellar’s former deputy who was involved in the business, already pleaded guilty. If convicted, the sheriff could face up to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy and theft of federal funds charges, and another 10 years for money laundering charges.
Beyond the indictment, Casso’s petition also alleges mismanagement of the county jail as well as violations of the Texas WhistleBlower Act, the Texas Elections Code and procurement laws.
“He has been compromised and has no credibility managing the Webb County Sheriff’s Office or County Jail,” his filing said.
The sheriff is the brother of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, the Laredo Democrat who was indicted in May 2024 on bribery, money laundering and conspiracy charges related to his relationship with an Azerbaijan-run oil-and-gas company and a Mexican bank. President Donald Trump pardoned the representative in December before criticizing him of disloyalty for deciding to run again as a Democrat for his 12th term.