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The US state their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required many weeks of planning, but the moment Donald Trump issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn attack on Saturday marked a never-before-seen event within modern politics and led directly to the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers from an elite American military force while they tried to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the couple are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

A Early Morning Assault against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Images of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where senior leadership reside, reveal blasted buildings as well as burned, smouldering cars.

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

Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

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

The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", the top general commented.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, en route to the military base.

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

There was significant weapons fire," the President added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

However, further information were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee 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 so fast.

"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the safe room, troops could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

They were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport into custody.