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American officials state the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of planning, however the moment the US President issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn attack on Saturday signified a never-before-seen incident within modern politics and resulted in the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force as they tried to escape inside a heavily secured safe room, the couple are currently detained at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

A Dawn Raid on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the extent of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Pictures of the vast military base, a huge military complex in which senior leadership live, reveal bombed out buildings as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Before - The President Issues the Order

The mission commenced amid reports of blasts at approximately 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

"It was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

However, more details emerged. They attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get inside as our personnel were so fast.

It featured a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in American Soil

That same day, footage emerged depicting Maduro at the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.