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The US assert their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president involved months of careful preparation, however when the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn strike on Saturday represented an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers from a top-tier US army unit while they tried to escape inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently in custody in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Dawn Raid on the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Photographs from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge army installation in which top government officials live, depict blasted structures as well as charred, smoking cars.

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

Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Command

The mission commenced with reports of blasts around 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to the target.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however were still able to fly, officials stated.

"It was significant gunfire," the President noted.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, as per accounts.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it."

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

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, the couple were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

On Saturday, a video emerged depicting Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.

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