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American officials claim their military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took months of careful preparation, but the moment the US President issued the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning assault on Saturday represented an unprecedented incident within modern politics and led directly to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers from a top-tier American military force while they tried to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the pair are currently being held at a holding facility in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex

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

Pictures of the vast military base, a massive army installation in which senior leadership live, reveal destroyed structures and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official reported.

Hours Before - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The goal was to disable the nation's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images show the complex on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew low above the city, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

There was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added.

The Rapid Ground Assault

After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

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

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

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it."

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 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 naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting The Legal System on US Territory

That same day, a video was released depicting the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

They face charges with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and journey into custody.