'Got off the phone with Rubio': Republican senator says no further action in Venezuela as Maduro is in US custody

Utah Republican senator Mike Lee said he had a word with Secretary of State Marco Rubio who asserted that the sudden move of the US in Venezuela falls within President Donald Trump's inherent authority to protect US personnel from an 'actual or imminent attack'. The Republican senator earlier questioned the constitutional basis of US' attack on Venezuela after US confirmed military strikes on Venezuela.

"Just got off the phone with @SecRubio. 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. 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 informed.


"He (Rubio) anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody," Lee added.

'Maduro is NOT the President': Marco Rubio shares old post

As US captured Maduro, Marco Rubio shared an older post in which he wrote that Maduro is not the legitimate president of Venezuela. "Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government. Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States," Rubio wrote in that earlier post that he shared once again, as the US is aiming for regime change in Venezuela.

What happened in Venezuela?

The US conducted a large-scale nighttime military operation on Venezuela and captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown to the US, where Maduro is set to stand trial on criminal charges. “A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” Donald Trump told the New York Times. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism by the US though Maduro said he was ready to discuss an agreement with the US to prevent drug trafficking.