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American officials state their military operation to capture the South American nation's leader took months of careful preparation, however the moment Donald Trump gave the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after about 150 minutes.

The shocking pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented a never-before-seen event within modern politics and culminated in the detention for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops from an elite US army unit while they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured panic room, the couple are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Photographs from the vast military base, an enormous military complex where key officials live, depict blasted structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this base 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 explosions at approximately 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The US cut power to the city, the President has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

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

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

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

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to accounts.

But, more details were provided. They attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing Justice on US Territory

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

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

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Video shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.