From that Caracas 'fort' to a Manhattan courtroom: Maduro's capture in images and maps.

American officials assert the armed forces mission to capture Venezuela's president required many weeks of careful preparation, however the moment the US President issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes.

The unexpected early-morning strike on Saturday signified a historic incident in contemporary international relations and culminated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Seized by soldiers from an elite US army unit when they attempted to flee inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are now in custody at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, became apparent.

Pictures from the vast military base, a huge army installation where senior leadership live, depict bombed out structures as well as burned, smoking cars.

The location was this base where the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

The US cut power to the city, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to neutralize the nation'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 advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude 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 significant weapons fire," Trump noted.

A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault

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

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to reports.

But, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.

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

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

From Caracas to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.

The Maduros were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice on American Soil

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office in the city.

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

They face charges including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General declared.

Footage documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.