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American officials claim the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took months of careful preparation, however when the US President gave the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning attack on Saturday signified an unprecedented event within contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit as they tried to escape into a fortified safe room, the pair are now in custody in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Images from the vast military base, a massive army installation in which top government officials live, reveal blasted buildings and charred, smouldering cars.

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

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order

The mission commenced with reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer commented.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.

There was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

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

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

However, further information emerged. They attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

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

It featured a very thick entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it."

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

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

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City.

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 now detained in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

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

Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.