From within that Caracas stronghold to the Manhattan courtroom: Maduro's capture in pictures and maps.

The US assert their armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's president involved many weeks of planning, yet when Donald Trump gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after approximately 150 minutes.

The shocking early-morning assault on Saturday marked a never-before-seen event in modern politics and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

Captured by troops belonging to an elite US army unit when they attempted to flee inside a fortified safe room, the pair are now in custody at a holding facility in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.

A Dawn Raid on the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Photographs of the vast military base, a huge military complex where senior leadership live, show blasted buildings as well as charred, smoking vehicles.

It was at this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Command

The mission started amid reports of explosions around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and clear the path for American assault helicopters to get to the target.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict the complex on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew low above the city, heading for the military base.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders said.

"It was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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 Maduros "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts.

But, further information emerged. 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 inside as our personnel were too quick.

"It was a very thick door, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had managed 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, the couple were moved some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The team was back in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.

They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing The Legal System on American Soil

That same day, a video emerged showing Maduro inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are presently detained at a federal holding facility in the city.

They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

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