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The US state the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment the US President issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning attack on Saturday signified a never-before-seen incident in modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they tried to flee inside a fortified safe room, the two are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Images of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, reveal destroyed structures and burned, smoking vehicles.

The location was this facility where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

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

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.

Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, however were still able to fly, officials said.

"It was a lot of gunfire," the President noted.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

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

However, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

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

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

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

Facing Justice in US Territory

On Saturday, footage was released showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

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

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

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

Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.