as reports surfaced that the US is preparing to escalate operations against the South American country. Pinto told the UN on Friday in New York that Venezuela is grateful for the support of governments and people “speaking out against this attempt to bring war to the Caribbean and South America.” He said the US threats were intended to allow “external powers to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and gas wealth,” and accused Washington of using “vulgar and perverse lies” to “justify an atrocious, extravagant and immoral multibillion-dollar military threat. ”Friday, US broadcaster NBC News reported that US military officials are drawing up plans to “target drug traffickers inside Venezuela” with air attacks, citing two unnamed US officials. NBC also reported that US President Donald Trump said last week that US forces had carried out a third strike targeting a vessel he said was “trafficking illicit narcotics.” At least 17 people have been killed in three strikes. Experts have questioned the legality of US attacks on foreign boats in international waters, and data from both the UN and US agencies suggest Venezuela is not a major source of cocaine entering the United States, contrary to some US claims. In his UN General Assembly address on Tuesday, Trump warned drug smugglers: “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.” By contrast, Colombian President Gustavo Petro used his UNGA speech to call for a “criminal process” to be opened against Trump over the strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, which killed Venezuelans who had not been convicted of any crime. (Aljazeera)