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The US claim their military operation to capture the South American nation's president required months of planning, but when Donald Trump gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn strike this past weekend marked a never-before-seen event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops from a top-tier US army unit when they tried to flee into a fortified panic room, the pair are now being held at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Images from the vast military base, a huge army installation where senior leadership reside, reveal destroyed structures and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this compound that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official stated.

Just Moments Before - Trump Issues the Command

The mission commenced with reports of blasts at approximately 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and open up the path for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

There was significant gunfire," the President noted.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

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

They entered the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, 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 featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," the President informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to shut it."

But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, troops could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors 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 into New York City.

Facing Justice on American Soil

That same day, a video emerged depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

The couple are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.