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American officials claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required many weeks of planning, yet when the US President gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn assault this past weekend signified an unprecedented incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier American military force while they tried to escape inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation where key officials live, show bombed out structures and charred, smouldering cars.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official stated.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Order

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

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

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 element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials stated.

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

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

However, further information were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter 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 some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in US Territory

That same day, footage was released depicting Maduro inside the federal drug agency's main office in the city.

The couple are presently being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Video documents the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.