WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he “anticipates no further action in Venezuela” with the US military’s reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

This is according to Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah.

“He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant,” posted Lee on X, formerly Twitter, early Saturday after he said he spoke directly with Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who migrated to Miami.

“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” he added, stating that Rubio “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”.

Lee had earlier expressed scepticism about the US military action.

“I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorisation for the use of military force,” he wrote on X early Saturday.

In confirming US military strikes on Venezuela early Saturday, US President Donald Trump wrote on his social media network, Truth Social, that Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the country”.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” he wrote.

“This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement,” Trump added. “Details to follow. There will be a news conference today (Saturday).”

Trump described the US military operation as “brilliant”.

“A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” he told the New York Times tersely. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

But Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a US Marine Corps veteran, who was deployed to Iraq, characterised US strikes in Venezuela as “illegal”.

“This war is illegal,” he wrote on X early Saturday, adding that it was the “second unjustified war in my lifetime”.

Both Democratic and Republican legislators have been expressing profound alarm over Trump’s escalating military build-up in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating narco-trafficking.

Trump administration officials have reported that over 125 people have been killed in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean since the US military attacks began on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in early September.

US Senator Peter Welch of Vermont has expressed deep concern over Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops, warships and fighter jets to the region.

Welch emphasised in his speech on the US Senate floor that Congress must assert its authority under the War Powers Act before the United States takes further unauthorised military action.

The senator criticised the Trump administration for not providing Congress with enough information about recent military strikes and demanded more transparency and accountability.