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American officials claim the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader took months of planning, however the moment the US President issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.

The surprise early-morning strike this past weekend marked a never-before-seen event within modern politics and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they attempted to flee into a fortified safe room, the pair are currently detained at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

A Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

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

Images of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation where top government officials live, depict bombed out structures as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this compound that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Command

The mission commenced with reports of explosions at approximately 02:00 local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.

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

"It was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

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

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to shut it."

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

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

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, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice on American Soil

On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

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