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The US claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader involved months of careful preparation, however when the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented a never-before-seen event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier American military force when they attempted to flee into a fortified panic room, the two are now being held in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, was evident.

Images of the vast military base, a huge army installation in which key officials live, depict destroyed buildings as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this compound that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official stated.

Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and clear the path for US military helicopters to get to the target.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.

Targeted sites included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents reported the way American choppers flew low above the city, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however were still able to fly, officials said.

"It was significant gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

However, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter the safe room, troops could have breached it in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released showing the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

The couple are now being held in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Footage documents Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.