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American officials state the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader involved many weeks of planning, yet the moment the US President gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn assault this past weekend marked a historic event in modern politics and culminated in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier US army unit when they attempted to flee inside a fortified safe room, the pair are now detained at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.

Photographs from the vast military base, a huge army installation where top government officials reside, depict destroyed buildings as well as charred, smoking vehicles.

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

Hours Earlier - Trump Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of blasts at about 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The US cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defense systems and clear the path for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites included the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Residents reported how American choppers flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

"It was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

However, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

But even if they had succeeded to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

They were then flown via official aircraft 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 emerged depicting the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

The couple are presently being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and bombs against the US.

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

Footage shows the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.