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American officials claim their military operation to capture the South American nation's leader took many weeks of planning, however the moment Donald Trump gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn strike this past weekend signified a never-before-seen event within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite American military force as they tried to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex

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

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation where top government officials reside, show destroyed buildings and burned, smoking cars.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US cut power to the city, the President later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".

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

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.

There was significant gunfire," Trump noted.

The Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, troops from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They entered the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door because our guys were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had succeeded to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

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

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, 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 at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

That same day, a video emerged depicting Maduro inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city.

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

They face charges with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

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

Video documents the leader's entry into American and transport to detention.