Trevor Reed was arrested in Russia nearly three years ago and sentenced to nine years in prison. Years of effort finally paid off with Trevor’s release last week.

Trevor’s father, Joey Reed, was full of gratitude on MSNBC as he expressed appreciation for former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, his colleague Mickey Bergman, Texas Reps. August Pflugar and Michael McCaul and Texas Sen. John Cornyn.

But Joey Reed said he couldn’t say on television the words that would have expressed his feelings for Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz was the first person the Reed family contacted, Joey Reed said, “because he was the most well-known.” But Cruz’s staff shrugged off Trevor’s plight, saying, according to Joey Reed, “Sometimes Americans get detained in Russia.” Reed said the staff also told the family that Cruz couldn’t help the family because Putin hates him and his involvement could endanger their son.

After never hearing from him personally, Cruz called to congratulate the family the day Trevor was released. The call did not go well for Cancun Ted.

JOEY REED: I said, “Well, you know we could have used your help.” And he said oh, and he told us the story about oh, we couldn't do this. I said, “Michael McCaul speaks out against Putin every day,” and I said, “and you never did. I watched the committee meetings where my son was discussed in Foreign Relations [Committee] and you never said a peep. All you were concerned about was Nord Stream 2.”

And he told me, “That’s why Putin hates me.” And I said, “Well, if you really hated Putin, why didn't you talk about cutting the 10% of crude oil we imported from Russia? You seemed to be most interested in Nord Stream 2.” Which, you know, if we cut that, that would mean more Texas oil probably going to Germany. …

We thanked him for his call and he said, “If anything I can do in the future,” but he was – we said we could have used your help two years ago.”