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The US state their military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president required many weeks of planning, yet when the US President issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning strike on Saturday marked a historic incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Captured by troops from an elite US army unit as they attempted to flee inside a fortified safe room, the two are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism accusations.

A Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

As the sun rose that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Images of the vast military base, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, depict bombed out structures and charred, smouldering vehicles.

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

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

The mission commenced amid reports of blasts at about 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

The US cut power across the capital, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly".

The objective was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations included the base, a port and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.

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

There was a lot of gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They entered the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per reports.

But, further information emerged. They attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," the President informed the media. He reached the entrance. He was unable to shut it."

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

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Confronting The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, footage emerged depicting Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are presently detained at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video shows the leader's entry in US and transport to detention.