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American officials claim their military operation to capture Venezuela's leader took months of careful preparation, however the moment the US President issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning assault on Saturday marked a historic event within modern politics and resulted in the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit as they attempted to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the two are now detained at a holding facility within New York City and face narco-terrorism charges.

The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Photographs of the vast military base, a massive military complex in which senior leadership live, show bombed out buildings as well as burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started amid reports of explosions at approximately 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the path for US military helicopters to reach the target.

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

Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.

Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

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

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

But, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get inside as our personnel were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

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

From Caracas to Manhattan

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

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

That same day, footage was released showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

The couple are now being held in a detention centre in the city.

They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport into custody.