Sen. Mike Lee initially questioned the constitutionality of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela early Saturday that captured the country’s president.
“I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force,” Lee wrote on X at 1:22 a.m. Mountain time Saturday.
In a reply to that post, Lee added that it was “too soon to say whether this is an ‘unconstitutional action.’”
“But we need some answers,” he wrote at 1:37 a.m. Mountain time.
The roughly 30-minute strike to Venezuela’s capital of Caracas was an apparently unilateral U.S. action, The Associated Press reported. American officials later announced that both President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested and will face narco-terrorism charges in the U.S.
About two hours after Lee’s initial post, the Utah senator who has previously been short-listed as a Supreme Court nominee shared on X that he came to a conclusion.
He did so just after he “got off the phone” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lee wrote at 3:16 a.m. Mountain time.
“He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant,” Lee continued.
“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” Lee concluded, thanking Rubio for “keeping me apprised.”
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state. Read the full Salt Lake Tribune story here.