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American officials claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president involved many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The unexpected pre-dawn assault this past weekend signified an unprecedented event in modern politics and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Seized by troops belonging to an elite US army unit as they attempted to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the couple are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations.

A Dawn Assault against the Military Complex

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

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, depict bombed out buildings as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Order

The mission commenced amid reports of blasts around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

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

The goal was to disable the nation's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials stated.

There was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per accounts.

But, more details were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to shut it."

But even if they had succeeded to get into the safe room, troops could have breached it in approximately "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 out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

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

Confronting The Legal System on US Territory

That same day, footage was released depicting Maduro inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

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

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.

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

Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.