CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela called Friday at the United Nations (UN) for solidarity against the “threat” of the United States, which has carried out deadly strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats.

“As they can’t accuse Venezuela of having weapons of mass destruction or nuclear weapons, they’re making up vulgar and perverse lies that no one believes, neither in the United States (US) nor around the world, to justify an atrocious, extravagant and immoral multi-billion-dollar military threat,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said in an address to the General Assembly.

“We would like to thank the governments and peoples of the world, including from the United States, for denouncing this attempt to wage war,” he said.

US President Donald Trump has deployed eight warships and a nuclear-powered submarine to the southern Caribbean as part of a stated plan to combat drug trafficking.

US forces have destroyed at least three suspected drug boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing over a dozen people in a move decried as “extrajudicial execution” by UN experts.

The United States has also refused an appeal for dialogue by President Nicolas Maduro, a firebrand leftist not recognised by the United States after wide allegations of irregularities in his last election.

Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez had once been regular presences at the annual week of leaders’ meetings at the United Nations.

Maduro did not come this year, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing him as a fugitive from justice over a US indictment on drug-trafficking allegations.