🔗 Share this article From within that Venezuelan capital 'fort' to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's seizure in images as well as geographic charts. American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president took many weeks of planning, however the moment Donald Trump issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours. The unexpected pre-dawn attack this past weekend represented a historic event in modern politics and culminated in the detention for Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro. Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite American military force when they tried to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the two are now detained in a detention centre in New York and face narco-terrorism indictments. A Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was clear. Images from the vast military base, a massive army installation where top government officials reside, reveal bombed out buildings and burned, smoking cars. It was at this facility where the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated. The major military base, Venezuela's biggest military complex, was targeted in American airstrikes in the early hours of Saturday morning. Hours Before - The President Gives the Command The mission started with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT). The US disabled electricity to the city, the President later described, describing it as "dark and deadly". The objective was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target. "We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated. Targeted sites included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles. The country announced a state of emergency following the US strikes. Residents reported how American choppers flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base. Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials stated. "It was significant weapons fire," Trump added. American aircraft flying over Caracas, with plumes of smoke from prior bombings clearly visible. A Rapid Ground Assault After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly. They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, as per reports. However, further information were provided. They attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker. "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 entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to shut it." However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have blown it open in about "47 seconds". From the Capital to Manhattan Currently under American detention, the couple were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan. They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29. It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses. A photograph showing the detained leader said to be captured aboard the warship. After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba. The Maduros were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City. A helicopter transporting the Maduros touches down on a landing pad in Manhattan. Maduro was spotted flashing a peace sign upon arrival at the landing site in New York. Heavy security was present around the landing zone as the Maduros arrived in New York City. Confronting Justice in American Soil That same day, a video was released showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York. The couple are now detained in a detention centre in the city. They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices to use against America. "They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed. Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and transport into custody.