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The US assert their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took months of careful preparation, however the moment Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning assault on Saturday represented a historic event in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from an elite US army unit when they tried to escape inside a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, was clear.

Photographs of the vast military base, a huge military complex where key officials live, depict bombed out structures as well as charred, smouldering cars.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Just Moments Before - Trump Gives the Command

The mission began amid reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked.

Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted.

A Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

However, further information emerged. They attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He was unable to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, forces could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, footage was released showing Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to acquire such weapons and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

Footage documents the leader's entry into American and transport to detention.