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The US claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader required many weeks of planning, yet when Donald Trump gave the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn assault on Saturday signified a historic incident in modern politics and resulted in the detention of Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers belonging to a top-tier American military force as they attempted to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the couple are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, was clear.

Pictures of the vast military base, a massive army installation in which key officials reside, reveal destroyed structures and burned, smouldering cars.

It was at this compound where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

The mission began amid reports of blasts at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly".

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Targeted sites included the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of weapons fire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.

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

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get inside because our guys were so fast.

"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached the entrance. He could not to shut it."

But even if they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

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

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released showing the detainee at the federal drug agency's main office in the city.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport into custody.