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The US claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn attack this past weekend represented an unprecedented incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Seized by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit when they tried to flee inside a fortified panic room, the pair are now being held in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

A Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge army installation in which key officials reside, depict bombed out structures and burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Hours Before - The President Issues the Order

The mission commenced with reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the path for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

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

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials said.

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

However, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.

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

But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

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

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

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

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

The couple are now being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

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

"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General declared.

Video shows Maduro's arrival in US and journey to detention.