The Trump administration is warning would-be drug traffickers that they will meet the same fate as those killed in a boat the U.S blew up Tuesday in the southern Caribbean, a dramatic escalation in the drug war and the White House's bitter feud with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The deadly U.S. military attack on a boat accused of carrying drugs in the Caribbean is the latest in a series of extraordinary measures that President Donald Trump has taken to combat the threat he sees from the Tren de Aragua gang.

The U.S. has deployed ships, a submarine, and air assets, already striking illicit shipments as tensions with Venezuela rise.

As U.S. warships and troops gather in the Caribbean, Mr. Maduro threatened an “armed fight” in response to any military action. He also appealed for peace.