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The US claim the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president took months of planning, however the moment Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning attack this past weekend marked an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest of Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers from an elite US army unit while they attempted to flee into a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now detained in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

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

Images from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which key officials live, reveal destroyed structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this facility that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Hours Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

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

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to reach the target.

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

Strike locations included the base, a port and an airfield. Images show the complex on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however managed to continue flying, officials said.

"It was a lot of gunfire," the President noted.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

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

They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to New York City

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

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.

They were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Facing The Legal System on US Territory

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

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

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official declared.

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