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The US state the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required many weeks of careful preparation, but the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately 150 minutes.

The unexpected pre-dawn strike on Saturday marked a historic event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier American military force while they tried to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the two are now being held at a holding facility in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.

The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Photographs from the vast military base, a massive army installation where senior leadership reside, reveal destroyed structures as well as burned, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this compound that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure a party official reported.

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of explosions around 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the path for US military helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

There was a lot of weapons fire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, as per accounts.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

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

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

But even if they had succeeded to get into the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The team was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, footage emerged depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre in the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

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

Video shows the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.