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American officials claim their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of planning, but when Donald Trump issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The unexpected early-morning attack on Saturday marked an unprecedented incident in modern politics and culminated in the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier US army unit as they attempted to escape inside a fortified safe room, the pair are currently in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.

A Dawn Assault on Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, became apparent.

Photographs from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which key officials reside, depict bombed out buildings as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Order

The mission began with reports of blasts at about 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

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

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

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airport. Pictures show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

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

There was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, according to accounts.

However, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

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

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

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

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

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

Confronting The Legal System in American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and journey into custody.