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American officials assert the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president involved many weeks of planning, however when the US President issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about 150 minutes.

The unexpected early-morning assault on Saturday marked an unprecedented incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by soldiers from a top-tier US army unit as they attempted to flee into a heavily secured safe room, the couple are now in custody at a holding facility in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

A Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna

As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Photographs from the vast military base, a massive army installation in which senior leadership reside, reveal destroyed buildings and burned, smoking cars.

The location was this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Just Moments Before - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US cut power across the capital, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

The objective was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the path for US military helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

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

Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders said.

There was significant gunfire," the President added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

But, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"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 a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to close it."

But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

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

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

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General declared.

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