From within the Venezuelan capital stronghold all the way to the Manhattan courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's seizure through images as well as geographic charts.

American officials assert their military operation to capture Venezuela's president involved months of careful preparation, however when Donald Trump issued the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn attack this past weekend marked a historic event in modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they tried to flee into a heavily secured secure chamber, the couple are now being held in a detention centre in New York and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.

A Dawn Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was clear.

Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which senior leadership live, depict bombed out structures as well as charred, smoking cars.

The location was this compound that Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, the President later described, calling it "dark and deadly".

The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defense systems and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations included the base, a port and an airfield. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible for miles.

Residents reported the way American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, en route to the military base.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, officials said.

"It was significant weapons fire," Trump added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

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

However, more details were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He was unable to close it."

But even if they had succeeded to get into the safe room, forces could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From the Capital to New York City

Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold that looked like opaque glasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City.

Confronting Justice in US Territory

That same day, a video emerged depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

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

They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General declared.

Footage shows the leader's entry in US and journey into custody.