(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday criticized recent US airstrikes against small vessels off Venezuela, arguing that Washington would be better served focusing on Belgium, which a Belgian judge recently labeled an emerging “narco-state.”

Addressing reporters, Lavrov condemned the maritime attacks authorized by the US administration, which are said to target drug traffickers in the Caribbean. He described these operations as “acts taken without due process” and asserted that they reflect a tendency of the US to “place itself above the law.”

“Rather than targeting Nigeria and Venezuela with anti-drug operations and [potential] seizures of oil fields, the US should probably focus on eradicating this social ill in Belgium,” Lavrov stated. “The US already has troops there and will not have to chase after small boats with crews of three people each.”

He referenced comments from a Belgian judge who warned that “mafia-like structures have taken root” in the country, noting it is accurate to ask whether Belgium “are we evolving into a narco-state.”

Lavrov also emphasized that Russia regards Venezuela as a friendly nation and confirmed that Moscow does not intend to deploy military forces there.

The US maintains that its actions are aimed at combating “narcoterrorism” under congressional counterterrorism authority, with the Trump administration presenting the strikes as part of efforts to curb the flow of fentanyl into the country.

Data from US authorities indicate that Mexico is the primary source of fentanyl entering the US, while Venezuela’s role in international trafficking is mostly limited to serving as a transit point for South American cocaine shipments.

Some critics argue that Washington’s focus on narcotics serves as a cover for potential political intervention in Caracas.

MENAFN12112025000045017640ID1110330938