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American officials assert the armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's leader took months of planning, yet the moment the US President issued the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn assault on Saturday signified a historic incident within modern politics and culminated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

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

A Dawn Assault against the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where key officials live, depict bombed out buildings and burned, smouldering cars.

It was at this base that the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated.

Hours Earlier - The President Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the path for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added.

A 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 Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to reports.

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

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached to the door. He could not to shut it."

But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From Caracas to New York City

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Confronting Justice on American Soil

On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

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

Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and journey to detention.