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American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president involved months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning strike this past weekend represented an unprecedented incident in modern politics and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops from an elite US army unit while they attempted to flee inside a fortified panic room, the couple are currently being held at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism charges.

A Dawn Assault against Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Images of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex in which key officials live, reveal bombed out structures and burned, smoking cars.

The location was this compound that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences 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," a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

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

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts.

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

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

"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to shut it."

But even if they had managed to get into the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System on US Territory

That same day, footage was released showing the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

The couple are now detained in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport into custody.