Bobby Pulido Faces Scrutiny Over Touring With Convicted Sex Offender

Two-time Latin Grammy-winning Tejano star and South Texas congressional candidate Bobby Pulido is facing renewed scrutiny after reports revealed he performed multiple times with an accordion player who is a registered sex offender.

Pulido, now a Democratic challenger seeking to unseat Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, has built a campaign that has energized supporters across South Texas and drawn national attention. However, his past association with accordionist Frankie Caballero has become a flashpoint in the race.

According to a report by the New York Post, Caballero—who was convicted in 2014 of indecent contact with an 8-year-old girl and sentenced to four years in prison—performed with Pulido more than a dozen times between 2018 and 2021, well after his conviction and release.

Caballero, who played a role in Pulido’s early success and appeared on his 1995 breakout hit Desvelado, was seen performing at concerts across the country, including in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Tucson. Social media posts and videos from that period show the accordionist continuing to share the stage with the Tejano singer years after his conviction.

In a statement, Pulido campaign manager Abel Prado said the singer was unaware of Caballero’s status as a registered sex offender.

“Bobby was never made aware of Caballero’s sex offender registration and would never knowingly associate with anyone with that kind of history,” Prado said. “Bobby extends his deepest sympathies and support to all of the victims involved.”

Prado added that Caballero struggled with addiction issues and that Pulido had attempted to help him. He also noted that once Pulido’s management became aware of Caballero’s criminal history in 2021, the accordionist was immediately dismissed and ties were severed.

Pulido seemed aware of Caballero’s many run-ins with the law, admitting in a March 2024 interview with Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame broadcaster “Rock-N-Roll James” Echavarria a little more than a year before launching his congressional run that it was a “shame” his bandmate “just can’t stay out of trouble.”

The campaign further stated that Caballero’s hiring was handled by management and that no background check was conducted, which they described as standard practice for short-term performance engagements in the music industry. A source close to the campaign also indicated Pulido is expected to make a charitable donation supporting abuse victims in Texas.

Despite those explanations, Republicans have seized on the reports. De La Cruz issued a strong statement criticizing Pulido and questioning his judgment.

“My heart goes out to the children who were sexually abused by a close friend and professional associate of Bobby Pulido,” De La Cruz said. “Despite being caught on tape admitting he knew of this man’s criminality and praising him as recently as November, Mr. Pulido now falsely claims to have been unaware of his crimes. These are not South Texas values.”

My heart goes out to the children who were sexually abused by a close friend and professional associate of Bobby Pulido. For three decades, Mr. Pulido brought a child predator into our neighborhoods with multiple convictions for sexually abusing children in Hidalgo County,… https://t.co/dETyonBUXl

— Monica De La Cruz (@monica4congress) April 2, 2026

Court records tied to Caballero’s 2014 conviction remain sealed due to the victim’s age, but publicly available information confirms the charge, sentence, and his status as a registered sex offender. Additional records show a lengthy criminal history, including prior arrests and convictions unrelated to the 2014 case.

Pulido, who rose to fame in the 1990s and remains a prominent figure in Tejano music, has not personally addressed the controversy beyond campaign statements. As the race in Texas’ 15th District intensifies, the issue is likely to remain a focal point in an already closely watched contest.

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