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American officials assert the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president involved months of planning, yet when Donald Trump issued the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn strike on Saturday marked an unprecedented event within contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops from a top-tier US army unit when they tried to escape into a fortified safe room, the couple are currently in custody in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent.

Images from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, depict bombed out buildings and burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this base that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure a party official reported.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Order

The mission began with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The objective was to neutralize the nation's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general commented.

Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Residents reported how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders said.

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

The Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to reports.

However, further information were provided. They attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

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

It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in American Soil

That same day, a video emerged showing Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

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