U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-San Angelo) is calling for the release of Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine and Texas resident, that has been imprisoned in Russia for almost two years.
Reed was arrested in Moscow Russia on Aug. 16, 2019 on purportedly false charges of intentionally endangering the lives of government officials in their line of duty. He was found guilty by a Russian court of law and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
"It's been 600 days since former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on false allegations," Pfluger said in an April 7 Twitter post. "I remain committed to working with @statespeha and the @whitehouse to bring Trevor home, and will not stop until justice is restored."
Reed's parents fear for their son's safety and believe that he may become collateral damage after a heated exchange of words between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which Biden called Putin "a killer with no soul," according to Metro News.
"We’re fearful that this will affect our son in the long term, and we just want to get him home before our two countries get more angry with each other," Joey Reed, Trevor's father, said, reported Metro News. "Our peoples are not the enemies; the Russian people are not our enemy."
Russian authorities allege that Reed was arrested after getting drunk at a party and that while traveling in the police car, he grabbed the driving police officer's arm, causing the vehicle to swerve into another lane of traffic, according to CBS DFW News. He was also accused of elbowing another officer who tried to intervene. Reed pleaded not guilty, but the judge sentenced him to nine years in prison even though traffic camera footage of the police vehicle showed no evidence of swerving, according to Metro News.
Pfluger joins a cadre of Republican lawmakers who believe Reed is wrongfully imprisoned. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin) are also demanding Reed's release.
"America will not tolerate this corrupt regime holding U.S. citizens hostage under false pretenses," McCaul said, Metro News reported. "The nightmare for these two brave Americans and their families must end immediately. Texas and America stands with Trevor."
Last year, the House of Representatives approved a resolution calling for the release of Reed, but that measure expired when the new Congress was sworn in last January.
Resolutions are now pending in Congress demanding the release of Reed and another American in Russian jail, Paul Whelan, who is also a former U.S. Marine.