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American officials assert their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn strike this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers belonging to an elite US army unit while they tried to escape inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are now detained at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism accusations.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex in which senior leadership live, depict blasted structures and burned, smoking vehicles.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.

Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

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

"It was significant weapons fire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

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

But, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

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

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

Facing The Legal System on US Territory

On Saturday, footage was released depicting Maduro at the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre within the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Footage documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport into custody.