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American officials claim the military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took many weeks of planning, but when the US President issued the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately 150 minutes.

The unexpected pre-dawn assault this past weekend marked an unprecedented event within contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers belonging to a top-tier American military force while they tried to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now detained at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Photographs of the vast military base, a massive military complex where key officials reside, reveal bombed out structures and charred, smoking cars.

The location was this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.

Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Command

The mission began amid reports of explosions at about 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

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

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

Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.

Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials said.

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, forces could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

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

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, a video emerged depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are presently detained in a detention centre within the city.

They face charges including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

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

Footage shows the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.