After being held nearly 1,000 days in a Russian prison, Texan and U.S. Marine Veteran Trevor Reed has been released, Congressman August Pfluger (R-San Angelo) said Wednesday.
Pfluger said they are anxiously awaiting details of Reed’s return to his home state of Texas.
Since Pfluger took office at the start of 2021, he has kept Reed’s story in the spotlight. Pfluger also called for a resolution that was passed by the House of Representatives in June 2021.
“This is so important,” Pfluger said during a phone interview on Wednesday morning. “We had someone being held unlawfully as a political pawn with trumped up charges that are not true. It highlights how important it is for us, as Americans, who live underneath the constitution and rule of law with the justice system that is better than anywhere else in the world to make sure that we did the right thing and bring him home.
“My part in this was taking the baton from (former Congressman) Mike Conaway, passing a resolution in the house and in the senate that it was the sense of congress that we wanted to bring him home. Highlighting this issue to everyone in the country, continuing to fight for Trevor and be a voice for Trevor, especially as he became ill.
“I’m very proud to lead this effort in congress to bring him home. We are looking forward to welcoming him back to Texas.”
Reed, who is from Granbury, was sentenced to nine years in prison for allegedly assaulting policemen in Moscow, a previous Odessa American article detailed.
In Wednesday’s press release, Pfluger thanked Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-California), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
Pfluger also detailed in the press release “I want to especially recognize Ambassador Sullivan and his team, as well as those at the NSA, NSC, SPEHA, and President Biden for their compassion and care in bringing Trevor home.”
“It’s nice to see congress actually come together and do something for the good of the country,” Pfluger said. “That’s what this represents. At the end of the day, we are going to have political differences, but I’m glad that we were able to join hands and push to do the right thing and not leave any American behind.”
