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American officials assert the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, however the moment Donald Trump issued the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend marked a historic incident in modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force when they tried to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are currently being held in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Images of the vast military base, a huge army installation in which senior leadership live, show blasted buildings as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official reported.

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order

The mission started with reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power to the city, the President has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

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

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.

Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

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

There was significant gunfire," Trump added.

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per reports.

However, further information were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee 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 featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice on US Territory

On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.