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American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president involved many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment the US President issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn attack this past weekend signified a historic incident in modern politics and culminated in the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite US army unit when they tried to escape inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now detained at a holding facility in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Images of the vast military base, an enormous military complex in which key officials live, depict blasted buildings as well as burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Command

The mission commenced amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power across the capital, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Targeted sites included the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders said.

There was significant gunfire," Trump noted.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get inside as our personnel were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

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

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

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

Facing Justice on American Soil

That same day, a video was released showing the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video shows the leader's entry into American and transport into custody.