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The US state the armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's president took months of planning, however when the US President gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn assault this past weekend marked a historic event in modern politics and resulted in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit when they tried to flee inside a fortified panic room, the pair are now being held at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism indictments.

The Dawn Raid on the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Photographs from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex where key officials reside, reveal destroyed buildings as well as burned, smoking cars.

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

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions at about 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, Trump has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and open up the path for US military helicopters to get to the target.

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

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

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

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.

However, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

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

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

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

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown 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.

Facing The Legal System on American Soil

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.

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

Footage shows Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.