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The US claim the armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's president took months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning attack on Saturday represented a historic incident in contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers from a top-tier American military force when they tried to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the pair are currently being held at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex in which key officials live, show destroyed buildings and charred, smoking vehicles.

The location was this base that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Hours Earlier - The President Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

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

The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations included the base, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

"It was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

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

They entered the facility at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. They attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

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

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

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, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

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

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

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