Did Texas Sen. Ted Cruz travel to Cancun?

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, this week for a family vacation as Texas dealt with a major winter storm that left millions without power.

Cruz confirmed the trip in a statement to The Washington Post:

• “With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon,” Cruz said.

• The Associated Press and the The New York Times both confirmed the news.
• “The high-profile Republican lawmaker went with his family for a long-planned trip to Cancun and was expected to return immediately,” according to The Associated Press.

The AP report comes after online rumors popped up Wednesday night when social media photos appeared to show Cruz at an airport in Cancun. Fox News also confirmed the news Thursday morning.

• Chad Pergram, a Fox News reporter who covers Congress, said sources told him that Cruz traveled to Cancun amid the Texas storm power outages.
• “The photos speak for themselves,” one source reportedly told Pergram.

Any response?

However, Cruz’s office did not respond to the photos on social media that allegedly showed him in Cancun, according to CNN reporter Manu Raju.

• “They haven’t confirmed or denied anything yet, not responding since last night. Comes as residents in Texas are left without running water or power amid the winter storm.”

Before the alleged trip, Cruz tweeted about the power outages: “I got no defense. A blizzard strikes Texas & our state shuts down. Not good. Stay safe!”

So what now?

Per Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman, Cruz reportedly applied for an upgrade on a flight back from Cancun. He said he was likely the “Cru, R” listed on the upgrade list. Ted Cruz’s full name is Rafael Edward Cruz.