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The US assert their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president took many weeks of planning, however the moment Donald Trump issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning attack on Saturday signified a historic incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops from an elite American military force as they attempted to flee into a heavily secured panic room, the two are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's primary city, became apparent.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which key officials live, reveal bombed out buildings and burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this facility where Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official reported.

Hours Before - The President Issues the Command

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

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents reported how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

There was significant gunfire," the President added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door because our guys were so fast.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He could not to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From the Capital to New York City

Now in US custody, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.

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

Confronting The Legal System in American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.