🔗 Share this article From within that Caracas stronghold to a New York courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's capture in images and maps. American officials claim their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president involved months of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours. The unexpected pre-dawn attack this past weekend marked a never-before-seen incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores. Seized by soldiers from a top-tier American military force when they tried to escape inside a heavily secured panic room, the couple are now detained at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism accusations. A Early Morning Raid against Fuerte Tiuna With daybreak that morning, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was clear. Pictures of the vast military base, an enormous army installation in which senior leadership live, reveal blasted structures and charred, smoking vehicles. The location was this facility that Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official reported. The major military base, the country's biggest armed forces facility, was struck by US strikes in the early hours of that Saturday. Hours Earlier - Trump Issues the Order The mission began with reports of blasts at about 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT). American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous. The aim was to disable the nation's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna. "We assessed that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated. Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with huge flames visible for miles. The country announced a national emergency following the US strikes. Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew low above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna. A number of the aircraft were shot at, but managed to continue flying, military leaders stated. There was a lot of gunfire," Trump added. US military helicopters flying over Caracas, with columns of smoke from prior bombings plainly seen. A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly. They entered the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports. But, further information were provided. They attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a military "fortress". The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were so fast. It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to shut it." However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the safe room, troops could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds". From the Capital to New York City Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved approximately 3,400 kilometers, to New York City. They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was back in international waters by 04:29. Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses. A photograph of Maduro reportedly taken on board the warship. After leaving the ship, 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 state, and then via helicopter into New York City. An aircraft carrying the Maduros lands at a helipad in Manhattan. Maduro could be seen flashing a V-sign upon arrival at the landing site in New York. Heavy security surrounded the helipad as the Maduros arrived in Manhattan. Facing Justice in US Territory On Saturday, a video emerged showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city. The couple are now detained in a detention centre in the city. They face charges with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire 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 proclaimed. Video documents Maduro's arrival in US and transport to detention.