🔗 Share this article From within that Venezuelan capital 'fort' all the way to the New York courtroom: Maduro's capture through photographs and maps. The US claim the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president took months of careful preparation, however the moment the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately 150 minutes. The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores. Apprehended by troops from an elite US army unit when they tried to flee inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now detained in a detention centre in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism accusations. A Dawn Raid on the Military Complex As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, was clear. Photographs of the vast military base, an enormous military complex where top government officials reside, reveal blasted structures and charred, smouldering vehicles. It was at this facility that the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated. Fuerte Tiuna, the country's biggest armed forces facility, was targeted in American airstrikes early on that Saturday. Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Command The mission began amid reports of blasts around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT). American forces cut power across the capital, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly". The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and clear the path for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna. "We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked. Strike locations included the compound, a port and an airport. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance. The country declared a state of emergency following the American attacks. Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base. A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, officials stated. "It was significant gunfire," the President added. US military helicopters soaring above Caracas, with plumes of smoke from prior bombings clearly visible. A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action. They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to reports. However, more details emerged. They attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker. "The safe place is all steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were too quick. "It was an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it." However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute." From Caracas to Manhattan Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City. They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed off the coast. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM. It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses. An image showing the detained leader said to be taken on board the USS Iwo Jima. From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba. They were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City. A helicopter carrying the Maduros touches down at a helipad in New York City. Maduro was spotted showing a peace sign when he arrived at a heliport in the city. Tight security surrounded the helipad as the Maduros arrived in Manhattan. Confronting The Legal System on American Soil That same day, a video emerged depicting Maduro at the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city. He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city. They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and destructive devices to use against America. They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared. Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.