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American officials state their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of careful preparation, yet when Donald Trump gave the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning attack on Saturday marked a historic event in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops from an elite American military force as they tried to flee inside a fortified safe room, the two are now in custody in a detention centre in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation where senior leadership live, reveal destroyed buildings and burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this base 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 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".

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

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

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible for miles.

Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

"It was a lot of weapons fire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

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

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy door, a massive door," Trump informed the media. "He made it to the door. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the bunker, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

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

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

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

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged showing Maduro at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

The couple are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges including planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.