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American officials assert the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader required months of planning, however the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about 150 minutes.

The shocking pre-dawn assault this past weekend represented a historic incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops belonging to an elite US army unit when they attempted to escape into a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are currently in custody at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, reveal destroyed buildings and burned, smoking vehicles.

The location was this compound where the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Before - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, the President later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations included the base, a port and an airport. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, en route to the military base.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

There was significant gunfire," Trump added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, as per reports.

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 get to the door because our guys were so fast.

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

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in US Territory

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

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They face charges with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

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

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