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The US claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president took months of planning, yet when the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn attack on Saturday marked a historic event within modern politics and culminated in the detention of Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops from a top-tier American military force when they tried to flee into a fortified panic room, the couple are now in custody at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.

Pictures of the vast military base, a massive army installation where key officials reside, reveal blasted structures as well as charred, smoking vehicles.

It was at this facility where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Earlier - The President Issues the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

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

Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.

Venezuelans reported how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders said.

There was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

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

However, more details emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

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

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - 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 in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System on US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video shows the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.