Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for a criminal investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials over recent U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean, which the White House claimed were carrying drugs.

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Petro condemned the attacks, saying the passengers were poor young Latin Americans, not members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang as alleged.

The strikes, occurring on September 2, 16, and 20, killed a total of 17 people.

Petro criticized the Trump administration for criminalizing poverty and migration, questioning the necessity of targeting unarmed civilians, the Associated Press has reported.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also warned of constitutional measures to defend against potential U.S. aggression, while the U.S. justified the attacks as efforts to curb drug trafficking.