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The US claim their military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but the moment the US President gave the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn assault on Saturday marked an unprecedented event within contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by soldiers belonging to an elite US army unit as they attempted to flee into a fortified secure chamber, the pair are now detained in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

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

Images from the vast military base, a massive military complex in which top government officials live, show destroyed structures as well as charred, smoking cars.

It was at this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order

The mission began amid reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and clear the path 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.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described the way US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, according to accounts.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

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

From the Capital to New York City

Now in US custody, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

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 state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing Justice in US Territory

On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

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

Footage shows the leader's entry in US and transport to detention.