Sen. Mike Lee listened to me!

🧵 1/ What Are Letters Of Marque And Reprisal And How Could They Be Used To Weaken Drug Cartels? 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0EeQigzVYm

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

3/ Legal Basis in the U.S.

The U.S. Constitution authorizes these commissions in Article I, Section 8, giving Congress the power to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal”

While Congress hasn’t issued one in over a century, the authority to do so still exists pic.twitter.com/ohCWJ7wdPN

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

5/ How Could They Be Applied?

- Authorization: Congress could issue letters of marque and reprisal authorizing private security firms or specially trained civilians to intercept cartel operations, particularly those involving drug shipments or human trafficking across borders… pic.twitter.com/AxkAWKB17k

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

7/ Criticism

The use of letters of marque and reprisal would undoubtedly draw criticism, especially from those inclined to elevate abstract, often-inchoate principles of what they deem “international law” above the sovereign interests of the United States pic.twitter.com/7uDf5Y2cG6

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

9/ We have no desire to go to war with our southern neighbor

But we also can’t ignore the fact that drug cartels are now threatening to target U.S. planes deporting illegal aliens

That sounds like a great reason to consider issuing letters of marque and reprisal pic.twitter.com/KV3sGr83jd

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

11/ Please share if you like this idea—and follow if you’d like to see more posts about letters of marque and reprisal & other amazing, little-known features of the U.S. Constitution pic.twitter.com/79GBYbNJQl

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 27, 2025

Onward and upward,
airforce