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American officials claim the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader took months of planning, but the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented an unprecedented incident in modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force as they attempted to escape into a fortified safe room, the two are now detained at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was evident.

Photographs from the vast military base, a huge military complex in which top government officials live, show blasted buildings as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

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

Hours Earlier - The President Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

The US cut power to the city, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

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

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show the complex on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

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

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door because our guys were too quick.

"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was 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 into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

That same day, footage emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

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

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess machine guns and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

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