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American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly 150 minutes.

The shocking pre-dawn strike this past weekend signified a historic incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers from an elite US army unit as they attempted to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism indictments.

The Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex in which senior leadership reside, show blasted structures and burned, smoking vehicles.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

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

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of gunfire," the President added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

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

But, more details emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it inside as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick door, a massive door," Trump informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing Justice on US Territory

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

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

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

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared.

Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.