🔗 Share this article From that Venezuelan capital stronghold all the way to a Manhattan court: The Venezuelan leader's capture in images as well as geographic charts. The US claim their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader required many weeks of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours. The surprise pre-dawn strike on Saturday signified a historic event in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro. Captured by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force while they tried to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the couple are now being held in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations. The Early Morning Assault against Fuerte Tiuna At sunrise on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's primary city, became apparent. Images of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which senior leadership reside, reveal destroyed buildings and burned, smouldering cars. The location was this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández reported. The major military base, Venezuela's biggest military complex, was hit in American airstrikes early on that Saturday. Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Order "Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT). The US cut power to the city, the President later described, describing it as "dark and deadly". The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for American assault helicopters to reach the target. Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented. Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with huge flames visible from a great distance. The country declared a national emergency following the US strikes. Residents have described the way American choppers flew low above the city, en route to the military base. A number of the aircraft came under fire, however were still able to fly, officials stated. There was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted. American aircraft flying over Caracas, with columns of smoke from prior bombings clearly visible. A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action. They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts. However, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker. The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were so fast. "It was an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to close it." But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "47 seconds". From Caracas to Manhattan Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan. They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29. It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses. A photograph showing the detained leader reportedly captured aboard the warship. After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan. A helicopter transporting the detainees lands at a helipad in Manhattan. Maduro was spotted showing a V-sign when he arrived at the landing site in New York. Tight security was present around the helipad as the Maduros arrived in New York City. Facing Justice in US Territory On Saturday, footage was released showing Maduro inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York. He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city. They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US. They are set to encounter the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed. Video shows the leader's entry into American and transport to detention.