From the Caracas stronghold to a Manhattan court: Maduro's apprehension in photographs and geographic charts.

The US claim their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader involved months of planning, however when Donald Trump issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning strike on Saturday signified a historic event within contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier American military force when they attempted to flee into a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are currently in custody in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex

As the sun rose that morning, the extent of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, was evident.

Pictures from the vast military base, a huge army installation where senior leadership live, show destroyed structures and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

Residents reported how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

There was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

The Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

They entered the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports.

However, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The team was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They were then flown on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged showing Maduro inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

The couple are now being held in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

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