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American officials claim their military operation to capture Venezuela's leader required many weeks of careful preparation, but the moment Donald Trump issued the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning assault on Saturday marked a never-before-seen event within modern politics and led directly to the detention of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force as they tried to escape into a fortified secure chamber, the two are now in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault on the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, was evident.

Images from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex in which top government officials reside, reveal blasted buildings and burned, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US cut power across the capital, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

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

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

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.

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

The Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

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

But, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

The secure room 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 reached to the door. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the safe room, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

They then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice on US Territory

That same day, a video was released depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

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

They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video documents the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.