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The US claim the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required many weeks of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in about 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn strike this past weekend signified a historic incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit as they tried to escape inside a fortified panic room, the couple are currently being held at a holding facility in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

A Dawn Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.

Images from Fuerte Tiuna, a massive army installation in which top government officials reside, reveal destroyed structures as well as burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this base that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Command

The mission began with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces cut power across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and clear the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target.

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

Strike locations encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible for miles.

Residents have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

There was a lot of weapons fire," the President added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.

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

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

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to shut it."

But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

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

Aboard the vessel 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.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.

They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in US Territory

That same day, a video emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and bombs to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.

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