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The US claim their military operation to capture the South American nation's leader involved months of careful preparation, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn attack this past weekend signified a historic event within contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to an elite US army unit when they tried to escape inside a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently detained at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Assault on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Photographs of the vast military base, a massive army installation in which key officials live, show bombed out buildings and burned, smouldering vehicles.

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

Just Moments Before - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames seen from a great distance.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials said.

"It was significant gunfire," Trump added.

The Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

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

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts.

But, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were too quick.

"It was a very thick entryway, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to close it."

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

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

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The team was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in American Soil

That same day, footage was released showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility in the city.

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

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.

Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.