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American officials state their military operation to capture the South American nation's president required months of careful preparation, but the moment Donald Trump issued the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The unexpected pre-dawn assault on Saturday marked a never-before-seen incident within contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Captured by troops belonging to an elite American military force when they attempted to escape into a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are now being held at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation where top government officials reside, depict blasted buildings as well as burned, smoking cars.

The location was this facility where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated.

Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Command

The mission started with reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The objective was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however were still able to fly, military leaders said.

There was a lot of gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get inside as our personnel were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. 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 Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The team was completed in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

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

Facing Justice in US Territory

On Saturday, a video emerged depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.

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