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The US claim their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but when Donald Trump issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn strike on Saturday represented a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit when they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured safe room, the couple are now detained in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Photographs of the vast military base, a massive military complex where top government officials reside, depict blasted structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this compound that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Issues the Command

The mission began amid reports of explosions around 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, the President has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

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

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

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

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.

But, more details were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to close it."

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Facing The Legal System on American Soil

That same day, a video was released showing Maduro inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

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

They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

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

Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.