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The US claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader involved many weeks of planning, yet when the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning strike on Saturday marked a never-before-seen event in modern politics and resulted in the detention of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Captured by troops from an elite US army unit while they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the couple are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

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

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where top government officials reside, depict destroyed structures and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

The mission started amid reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power to the city, the President has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

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

Residents reported how American choppers flew low over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials said.

"It was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

The Rapid Ground Assault

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

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

However, more details emerged. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

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

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing Justice in American Soil

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

The couple are now detained in a detention centre within 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 bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and journey into custody.