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The US state the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader required many weeks of careful preparation, yet when the US President gave the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in about 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning assault on Saturday represented a historic incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they attempted to escape into a fortified panic room, the pair are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was evident.

Images of the vast military base, a massive military complex where key officials reside, show destroyed structures and charred, smouldering cars.

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

Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of explosions at about 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

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

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

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

The Rapid Ground Assault

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

They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, as per reports.

But, more details were provided. The Maduros 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 to the door as our personnel were too quick.

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

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

From Caracas to New York City

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

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

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

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared.

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