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American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, however when the US President gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning assault this past weekend marked an unprecedented event within modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Assault against the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.

Images of the vast military base, a huge military complex in which key officials live, show bombed out structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this facility that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

The mission started amid reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US cut power to the city, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to the target.

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

Targeted sites included the compound, a port and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

"It was significant gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

However, more details were provided. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it to the door because our guys were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. He reached the entrance. He could not to shut it."

But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, a video was released depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

The couple are now being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.