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American officials assert the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader involved months of planning, however the moment the US President issued the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn attack on Saturday marked a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier American military force when they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the couple are currently in custody at a holding facility within New York City and face narco-terrorism indictments.

A Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.

Images of the vast military base, a massive military complex where key officials live, reveal blasted buildings and burned, smouldering vehicles.

It was at this compound where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Hours Earlier - The President Gives the Order

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

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, the President has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

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

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials said.

"It was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

A Rapid Ground Assault

After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

They entered to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per reports.

But, further information were provided. They attempted to flee into a safe place, referred to as a military "fortress".

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

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

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

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

They were then flown via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice on American Soil

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

The couple are now being held in a detention centre within the city.

They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

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

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