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American officials assert their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president involved months of planning, yet the moment the US President gave the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours.

The surprise early-morning attack this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite American military force while they tried to escape inside a heavily secured panic room, the pair are currently in custody in a detention centre in New York and face narco-terrorism charges.

The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where top government officials reside, show blasted structures and charred, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Hours Before - The President Issues the Command

The mission began with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", the top general commented.

Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of weapons fire," the President noted.

The Rapid Ground Assault

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

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

But, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

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

But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting The Legal System on American Soil

On Saturday, a video was released depicting Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre within the city.

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

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