Venezuela has condemned a series of U.S. drone strikes across the Caribbean, accusing President Donald Trump of “fabricating a war.” The attacks, which killed at least 27 people, have triggered outrage from regional governments and calls for a UN investigation into alleged violations of international law.

A Bloodthirsty Killer Is Prowling the Caribbean”

Venezuela’s UN ambassador Samuel Moncada delivered a blistering speech at the United Nations, calling the drone strikes “massacres” and accusing Washington of manufacturing a conflict to justify its expanding military footprint. “There is a killer roaming around the Caribbean,” Moncada said. “He’s bloodthirsty. He’s killing everyone who is on the sea working… They are fabricating a war. The emperor is naked.”

He claimed the Trump administration was using anti-narcotics operations as cover for lethal attacks on civilian vessels, amounting to “extrajudicial executions” under international law.

Several Latin American diplomats privately echoed those concerns, warning the strikes risked inflaming regional tensions.

Civilian Casualties and Legal Concerns

Regional monitoring networks and local media reported that two drone strikes on October 15 and 17 hit vessels near Venezuelan and Trinidadian waters.

One attack destroyed a small fishing boat, killing six people — including two Trinidadian nationals with no confirmed links to drug smuggling. Survivors from a second strike were rescued after drifting for hours.

Human rights groups and maritime law experts warned that if civilians were deliberately or recklessly targeted, the operations could amount to war crimes. They also questioned whether the U.S. had obtained host nation consent or disclosed the intelligence behind its targeting decisions.

Analysts noted that Washington’s expanded counter-narcotics mandate in the region has operated with little transparency or congressional oversight.

Diplomatic Fallout and Regional Response

Venezuela has formally submitted a letter to the UN Security Council demanding an independent probe. Its foreign ministry accused Washington of “militarizing the Caribbean” and destabilizing regional governments under the pretext of counternarcotics enforcement.

Trinidad and Tobago’s government has requested clarification from U.S. officials regarding the reported civilian deaths. While Washington has not issued a public response, administration sources told journalists the strikes targeted suspected trafficking vessels and that civilian casualties are “under review.”

The growing backlash has underscored fears that the Caribbean could become the next flashpoint in an increasingly aggressive U.S. regional policy, with analysts warning that escalating drone operations risk igniting broader confrontation.