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American officials assert the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but the moment the US President gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn assault on Saturday marked a historic incident within modern politics and resulted in the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Captured by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are now detained in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which key officials live, show destroyed buildings and burned, smouldering cars.

The location was this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Order

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

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

The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked.

Targeted sites included the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Residents have described how American choppers flew low above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

"It was a lot of gunfire," the President added.

A Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

But, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get inside as our personnel were too quick.

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

But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, a video emerged depicting Maduro inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York.

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

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video shows the leader's entry into American and transport to detention.