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The US assert the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president took many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning attack this past weekend represented an unprecedented incident within modern politics and resulted in the detention of Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to a top-tier American military force when they tried to flee inside a fortified panic room, the two are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, became apparent.

Pictures of the vast military base, a massive army installation where key officials reside, show bombed out structures as well as charred, smoking vehicles.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Before - Trump Gives the Order

The mission began amid reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, officials stated.

"It was significant gunfire," the President noted.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

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

"It was a very thick door, a massive door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to close it."

But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, troops could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

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

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

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.