The US state the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader involved many weeks of planning, yet the moment the US President gave the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.
The unexpected pre-dawn attack on Saturday represented a never-before-seen incident within modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.
Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force when they tried to flee inside a heavily secured safe room, the pair are currently in custody at a holding facility in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.
The Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex
With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was evident.
Images from the vast military base, an enormous military complex in which key officials reside, reveal blasted structures as well as charred, smouldering vehicles.
The location was this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.
Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of explosions at about 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).
The US cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.
The objective was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the path for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.
Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated.
Strike locations included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.
Venezuelans have described the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, heading for the military base.
A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders said.
There was significant gunfire," Trump added.
The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation
Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.
They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports.
However, further information were provided. The Maduros tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.
"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were too quick.
It featured a very thick door, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to shut it."
However, even assuming they had managed to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".
From the Capital to New York City
Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.
They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back in international waters before 4:30 AM.
Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.
After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.
They then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.
Facing Justice on US Territory
That same day, footage emerged showing the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office in the city.
He and Cilia Flores are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.
They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.
They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General declared.
Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.