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American officials claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, however the moment the US President issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by troops from an elite US army unit while they attempted to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the two are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism indictments.

The Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Images from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where key officials live, reveal bombed out structures and charred, smoking cars.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of explosions at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict 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 Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials stated.

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

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

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

However, further information were provided. They tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the safe room, troops could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The team was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

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

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Facing Justice on US Territory

That same day, a video was released depicting Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

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

Footage documents the leader's entry into American and journey to detention.