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American officials claim the armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's president involved months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend marked a historic event in modern politics and culminated in the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops belonging to an elite US army unit as they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Pictures from the vast military base, a huge army installation where top government officials reside, reveal bombed out structures as well as burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

The mission commenced with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The aim was to disable the nation'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 element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

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

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

There was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

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

But, more details emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were too quick.

"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it 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 via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

That same day, footage emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are now detained in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.