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American officials claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader involved months of careful preparation, yet when the US President gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The unexpected pre-dawn assault on Saturday signified a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite American military force as they attempted to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation in which top government officials live, depict blasted structures as well as burned, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.

Hours Earlier - The President Gives the Order

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

American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and clear the path for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

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

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

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

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per accounts.

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

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

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, troops could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The team was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

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

They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Facing Justice on American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

The couple are presently detained at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.

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

Footage documents the leader's entry into American and transport into custody.