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The US claim the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning assault on Saturday represented a never-before-seen event in modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier US army unit when they attempted to escape inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently being held at a holding facility in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

With daybreak that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.

Pictures of the vast military base, a huge army installation in which key officials reside, show bombed out structures and charred, smoking vehicles.

The location was this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.

Hours Earlier - The President Gives the Order

The mission started amid reports of blasts at about 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to reach the target.

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

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.

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

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, as per accounts.

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

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick entryway, a massive door," the President told reporters. 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 "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing Justice in American Soil

On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared.

Video shows the leader's entry into American and journey into custody.