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American officials state their military operation to capture the South American nation's leader took months of careful preparation, however when the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning attack on Saturday marked a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite US army unit as they attempted to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently detained at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, became apparent.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation where key officials live, depict destroyed structures and burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this compound where the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Order

The mission commenced with reports of blasts around 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power to the city, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames seen from a great distance.

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

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders said.

There was a lot of weapons fire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

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

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

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in US Territory

That same day, a video emerged showing Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

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