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7h ago

At UN, Colombia's Petro Seeks Criminal Case Over U.S. Boat Strikes as Trump Vows to 'Blow' Traffickers Away

The call follows U.S. strikes that destroyed at least three alleged Venezuelan smuggling boats, leaving more than a dozen dead.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gives a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Sept 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jesus Vargas)
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
U.S. President Donald Trump's addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Al Drago
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Overview

  • In a UN General Assembly speech, Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged a criminal investigation of President Donald Trump and U.S. officials over deadly attacks on small boats in the Caribbean.
  • Trump used his UN address to defend the operations and warned anyone smuggling drugs that the United States would “blow you out of existence,” repeating claims the targeted vessels carried lethal narcotics.
  • The Dominican Republic’s anti-drug agency said it recovered about 1,000 kilograms of cocaine from a speedboat that U.S. forces struck near Isla Beata during one of the recent operations.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed a letter from Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro as “full of lies,” reiterated that Washington views his government as illegitimate, and said Trump will use any means necessary to stop drug trafficking.
  • UN experts and regional critics have called the killings unlawful and described them as extrajudicial, while the administration maintains the actions comply with the law of armed conflict and has released limited public evidence to support targeting claims.