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The US state their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader required many weeks of planning, but when the US President gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn strike on Saturday represented an unprecedented incident within modern politics and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Captured by soldiers from an elite US army unit when they attempted to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the extent of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex where top government officials live, depict destroyed buildings and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official reported.

Hours Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

The mission began with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Residents have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

There was significant gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

But, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.

It featured a very thick door, a massive 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 bunker, troops could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From the Capital to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

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

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, footage emerged depicting Maduro at the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now detained at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Video documents the leader's entry into American and transport to detention.