Skip to Main ContentGOP Senator Defends U.S. Strikes On Venezuela Following Call With Marco RubioSen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he spoke to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday after initially criticizing U.S. strikes on Venezuela.Rubio "informed me that [Venezuelan President] 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 wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Lee added that Rubio "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody."Lee had previously questioned the Trump administration's actions, asking what "might constitutionally justify" the strikes "in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force."Just got off the phone with @SecRubioHe 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… https://t.co/lXCxhPoKSZ— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 3, 2026See All UpdatesClose