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The US assert the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader involved many weeks of planning, but the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning assault this past weekend signified an unprecedented incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force when they tried to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the couple are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

The Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

At sunrise on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation in which top government officials reside, reveal blasted buildings and burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this facility that Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Before - Trump Issues the Order

The mission commenced amid reports of blasts at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images show the complex on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Residents have described how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders said.

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

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to reports.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

"It was an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to close it."

But even if they had managed to enter the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".

From Caracas 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 from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

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 a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Confronting Justice in American Soil

On Saturday, a video was released depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

The couple are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.