From within the Venezuelan capital 'fort' all the way to a New York court: Maduro's capture in images and geographic charts.

The US claim the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president required months of planning, yet when Donald Trump issued the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn attack this past weekend represented a historic event in contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops from a top-tier American military force as they tried to escape inside a fortified panic room, the pair are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Dawn Assault against Fuerte Tiuna

At sunrise that morning, the extent of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.

Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which top government officials live, depict destroyed buildings and charred, smoking cars.

It was at this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.

Hours Before - The President Issues the Order

The mission started with reports of explosions around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The US disabled electricity across the capital, the President has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

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

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.

Venezuelans have described the way American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

"It was significant gunfire," Trump added.

A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros surrendered without resistance, according to reports.

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

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.

"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

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

After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in US Territory

On Saturday, a video was released depicting 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 face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to acquire machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

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