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American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president required many weeks of careful preparation, yet when the US President gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning strike on Saturday signified a historic incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier US army unit while they tried to flee inside a fortified safe room, the pair are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Photographs from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex where top government officials live, depict bombed out structures as well as charred, smouldering cars.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated.

Just Moments Before - Trump Gives the Command

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

American forces disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airport. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames seen for miles.

Venezuelans reported how American choppers flew low above the city, en route to the military base.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, however managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

"It was significant gunfire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to accounts.

However, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside because our guys were so fast.

"It was a very thick door, 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 safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

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

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, footage was released depicting Maduro inside the federal drug agency's headquarters 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, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Footage documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.