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The US claim the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president took many weeks of planning, however the moment Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn attack on Saturday signified an unprecedented event within modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops belonging to an elite American military force while they attempted to flee inside a heavily secured panic room, the two are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

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

Photographs of the vast military base, an enormous army installation where top government officials live, depict destroyed structures and charred, smoking vehicles.

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

Hours Before - Trump Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started amid reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity to the city, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.

Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

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

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

"It was significant gunfire," the President noted.

A Rapid Ground Assault

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

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get inside as our personnel were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to New York City

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

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

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

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

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.