🔗 Share this article From within the Venezuelan capital stronghold to a New York courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's apprehension in photographs as well as geographic charts. The US assert the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours. The unexpected pre-dawn strike this past weekend represented a historic event in modern politics and culminated in the detention of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores. Apprehended by troops from an elite American military force when they tried to escape inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently being held at a holding facility within New York City and face narco-terrorism charges. The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex At sunrise that morning, the extent of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, became apparent. Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials reside, reveal destroyed buildings and charred, smouldering vehicles. It was at this facility where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official reported. The major military base, the country's biggest armed forces facility, was struck by US strikes in the early hours of Saturday morning. Hours Before - The President Issues the Order The mission started with reports of explosions at about 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time). The US disabled electricity across the capital, Trump later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous. The aim was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach the target. "We assessed that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated. Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance. The country announced a national emergency following the American attacks. Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew low above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna. A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials said. "It was a lot of weapons fire," the President added. US military helicopters flying over Caracas, with columns of smoke from earlier air strikes plainly seen. The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly. They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, as per reports. But, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a military "fortress". "The safe place is all steel, and he failed to get inside as our personnel were so fast. It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to shut it." However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds". From the Capital to New York City Now in US custody, the couple were transported some 2,100 miles, to New York City. They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM. Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses. A photograph showing the detained leader said to be captured aboard the USS Iwo Jima. From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba. The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City. An aircraft transporting the detainees lands on a landing pad in New York City. The Venezuelan leader could be seen showing a peace sign when he arrived at a heliport in New York. Tight security was present around the helipad as the Maduros arrived in Manhattan. Facing The Legal System on US Territory That same day, footage was released depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York. He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility in the city. They have been charged including planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and bombs against the US. "They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General declared. Video shows the leader's entry in US and journey into custody.