From that Caracas 'fort' all the way to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's apprehension through photographs as well as geographic charts.

The US claim their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of planning, but when Donald Trump gave the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn attack on Saturday signified an unprecedented incident within modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier US army unit as they tried to flee inside a fortified panic room, the pair are now detained in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Dawn Raid against the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation in which senior leadership live, show bombed out buildings and burned, smoking cars.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The aim was to disable the nation's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to reach the target.

"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general stated.

Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airfield. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew low over Caracas, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials stated.

There was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

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

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, as per accounts.

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

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door because our guys were so fast.

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

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

From the Capital to Manhattan

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System on American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released depicting Maduro at the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

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