BUSTED: Ted Cruz reportedly took another international vacation during a different crisis

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) dominated the news on Thursday after fleeing Texas for a Cancun vacation while Texas was being battered by a winter storm that resulted in power and water outages.

"Sen. Ted Cruz was met with a wave of fury Thursday on his return to Houston from Cancun, Mexico, as critics questioned his decision to travel abroad while millions of Texas residents were without power and safe drinking water amid freezing temperatures that have left at least 21 people dead in the southern United States," The Washington Post reported Thursday. "Public outrage has mounted in recent days as officials in Texas have sought to deflect blame for the state's lack of preparedness for the storms — and Cruz, a prominent Republican figure widely seen as a potential 2024 presidential contender, immediately became an object of scorn for Texans already incensed by state leaders' response to the crisis."

The newspaper also discovered a second controversial trip by Cruz during a crisis.

"Cruz also traveled to Jamaica during the Senate's Fourth of July holiday break last year, flouting public health recommendations to minimize travel during the coronavirus pandemic, said two people with knowledge of Cruz's schedule, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the senator's private travel plans," The Post reported. "Cruz was visiting a longtime friend from college, the people said. At the time, the CDC had issued a recommendation that Americans 'avoid all nonessential international travel,' in an attempt to minimize the risk of contracting the virus. Cruz's office did not respond to a request for comment.:

Text messages about the trip were leaked to The New York Times and undermined the GOP senator's attempt to blame his kids for his decision.