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The US assert their armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's leader required months of careful preparation, but when Donald Trump issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The unexpected early-morning assault on Saturday signified a never-before-seen incident within modern politics and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops belonging to an elite US army unit when they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

The Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation where key officials live, show destroyed structures as well as charred, smouldering cars.

The location was this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official stated.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Order

The mission started with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of weapons fire," Trump noted.

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, as per accounts.

However, further information were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to 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 an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to close it."

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

From Caracas to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

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

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

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

The couple are now detained at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

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

Video documents the leader's entry into American and transport into custody.