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The US state the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader involved many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment the US President gave the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The shocking pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented a never-before-seen incident within contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops from an elite US army unit when they attempted to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the couple are now detained in a detention centre in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.

The Dawn Raid against the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Pictures from the vast military base, an enormous military complex in which senior leadership live, reveal bombed out structures and charred, smoking cars.

The location was this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated.

Just Moments Before - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US cut power across the capital, Trump later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked.

Targeted sites included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Residents reported how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

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

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to reports.

But, more details emerged. They attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

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

It featured a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable 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, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown 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.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

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

The couple are presently detained in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

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