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The US assert the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but the moment the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about 150 minutes.

The shocking pre-dawn strike on Saturday marked a historic event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force while they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are now in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent.

Pictures of the vast military base, a huge military complex where top government officials live, show destroyed buildings and burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Hours Before - Trump Issues the Order

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

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

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials said.

There was significant gunfire," the President noted.

A Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information were provided. They attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," the President told reporters. He reached to the door. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the safe room, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was back in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

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

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

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

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

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess machine guns and bombs against the US.

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

Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey into custody.