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The US state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president took many weeks of planning, however the moment Donald Trump issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn attack on Saturday represented an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention of Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force while they tried to flee inside a heavily secured panic room, the two are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Images of the vast military base, a massive army installation where senior leadership live, depict blasted buildings as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this facility where Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.

Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Order

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

American forces cut power across the capital, Trump later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked.

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with huge flames seen for miles.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

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

The Rapid Ground Assault

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, as per accounts.

However, further information were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door because our guys were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy door, a massive door," the President informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to close it."

But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, forces could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

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

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in American Soil

That same day, a video was released showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

The couple are presently detained in a detention centre in the city.

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.

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

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