SAN ANTONIO — Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Christopher Wray spoke about thousands of arrests, hundreds of seized guns, and a growing list of active cases in San Antonio Thursday. He graciously bowed out of talking about a raid at the home and office of Congressman Henry Cuellar, but Wray did not deny one existed.
"What I would tell you is that I can't speak to, and I don't think it would be appropriate for me to discuss who we are or are not investigating and what we might or might not be investigating them for," he said. "That's just not how we do things, especially in the context of ongoing investigations."
Cuellar, a Democrat, represents the 28th District of Texas. In January 2022, FBI agents acknowledged carrying out 'court-authorized activity in the vicinity of Windbridge and Estate Drive in Laredo' but would not discuss the search warrants beyond that.
Cuellar maintains he's innocent even as a source tells CBS News the raid is part of an ongoing probe involving an American businessman and Azerbaijan. The collection of boxes and a computer taken from the south Texas congressman's home is reportedly evidence for an impaneled grand jury in Washington D.C.
Pressed on the number of public corruption investigations cases handled by federal agents that make it to trial, he said his agents deal with the investigative part, not the prosecution.
"There's a whole lot of factors that go into how long these kinds of investigations take," Wray said. "Certainly, that go into decisions that prosecutors would make about when to charge, what to charge, who to charge."
The 56-year-old said fear of power and political favoritism is not a factor for his agents. He called public corruption a national threat priority.
"I can assure you that political considerations or worrying about what somebody may think about one of our investigations is absolutely not a consideration," he said. "My instructions to our people have been that we're going to follow the facts wherever they lead, no matter where they lead, no matter who likes it."
Wray was in the Alamo City visiting the San Antonio FBI Office run by Special Agent in Charge Oliver Rich. It's his second time since getting the appointment as director, the SA FBI said.
He met with his agents and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. He said that rising violence across the nation had become everyone's issue.
"It is the first thing I hear about from chiefs and sheriffs all over the country when I visit is the first thing I hear about from the community when I talk to them," Wray said. "And it is a real problem, and it needs to be addressed."
KENS 5 joined select media members that had to submit questions to the FBI director in advance.
In prepared remarks, Wray touted the effectiveness and collective strength of the task forces the FBI shares with law enforcement.
"I'm talking about things like our Central Texas Violent Crime Task Force
and our Safe Streets Task Forces in Austin, the Rio Grande Valley, and here in San Antonio," he said.
Wray said that unified efforts with task forces netted more than 20,000 arrests of violent criminals and child predators in 2022, and he said those arrests take 55 offenders off the street daily.
In San Antonio, 220 arrests for drug trafficking and violent offenders during the same period yanked 164 illegal firearms off the street.
"We've been clear-eyed and realistic about just how serious the threats coming across our borders are gangs and cartels are exploiting the Southwest border to move their people, their drugs, and their guns into our communities," he said.
The bureau counts 560 arrests and seizes 380 weapons to disrupt criminal organizations out of its border offices. Wray said they have 400 active cases targeting transnational criminal groups.
He also touched on the tragedy in Uvalde at Robb Elementary School and human trafficking, especially the exploitation of children.