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American officials state the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader required many weeks of planning, but when Donald Trump issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented a historic event within contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops from an elite US army unit while they attempted to flee into a fortified panic room, the two are now detained in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism charges.

A Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak that morning, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, became apparent.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex where key officials live, show bombed out structures and burned, smouldering vehicles.

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

Just Moments Before - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions at approximately 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of gunfire," the President noted.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

It featured a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, 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, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, a video emerged showing Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

The couple are now detained at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices 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 proclaimed.

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