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American officials state their military operation to capture Venezuela's leader involved many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning attack on Saturday represented a never-before-seen event in modern politics and resulted in the detention for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops from an elite American military force as they attempted to escape into a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are now detained in a detention centre in New York and face narco-terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Images of the vast military base, a massive army installation in which top government officials live, reveal bombed out structures and burned, smoking vehicles.

The location was this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Command

The mission commenced with reports of blasts at about 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the way for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Residents reported how American choppers flew low over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

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

"It was significant gunfire," Trump noted.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

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

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

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

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

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president 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 in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing Justice on American Soil

That same day, footage was released depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

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