U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) has been arrested, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon. 

The Beacon reports that Vasquez was actually arrested in March - or, at least, "Police in El Paso, Texas, executed an arrest warrant against [him]."

And, now, he is getting ready to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing.

Vasquez, as will be demonstrated, denies any wrongdoing. In fact, he claims this whole thing is a mistake.

The allegations

According to the Beacon, which has based its reporting on court documents that it claims to have inspected, the charges that Vasquez is facing stem from an incident that occurred decades ago.

"Vasquez, the documents show, failed to appear in court more than two decades ago, in 2002, after he was charged with driving without a license, driving without insurance, and disregarding an 'official traffic control device,'" the outlet reports.

It continues, "Police subsequently cited him for a failure to appear in court in September 2007 and issued a warrant for his arrest in April 2008."

The Beacon then goes on to claim that it was not until a couple of months ago, in March 2024 - more than two decades later - that the arrest warrant was finally executed.

The outlet reports that "An El Paso constable executed the [arrest] warrant [on Vasquez] roughly two months ago, on March 19."

The arrest and the upcoming trial

According to the Beacon, Vasquez, at the time, "paid a nearly $900 cash bond." He also "pleaded no contest, and waived his right to a jury trial."

Cornell Law School explains:

[No contest is a] plea by a criminal defendant that they will not contest a charge. A no contest plea does not expressly admit guilt, but nonetheless waives the right to a trial and authorizes the court to treat the criminal defendant as if they were guilty for purposes of sentencing. However, a no contest plea does not act as an admission of guilt for any purpose beyond the case in which it is pleaded.

The Beacon reports that Vasquez "has a pre-trial hearing in September."

Vasquez, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing. In fact, he claims the Beacon's reporting is false. His campaign manager has put out a statement, saying:

These traffic fines from over two decades ago when the congressman was 18 years old were paid off and no further action has been requested.

Time will tell whether Vasque is telling the truth, here, or whether the Beacon is right that Vasquez was arrested and is facing trial.