The US assert the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader involved months of planning, but when the US President gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately 150 minutes.
The surprise pre-dawn attack this past weekend represented an unprecedented incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Seized by soldiers from an elite US army unit as they attempted to escape into a heavily secured safe room, the two are now being held at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.
A Early Morning Assault against the Military Complex
At sunrise that morning, the extent of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent.
Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous army installation in which senior leadership reside, show blasted buildings and burned, smoking cars.
It was at this facility where the president and first lady were captured, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández stated.
Just Moments Before - The President Issues the Order
The mission commenced amid reports of blasts at approximately 02:00 local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
The US cut power to the city, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly".
The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the way for American assault helicopters to get to the target.
Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.
Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen from a great distance.
Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.
Some of the helicopters came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials stated.
"It was significant gunfire," the President noted.
A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation
After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.
They entered the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.
But, more details emerged. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".
The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to get inside as our personnel were too quick.
"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to shut it."
But even if they had managed to get into the bunker, forces could have breached it in approximately "under a minute."
From the Capital to Manhattan
Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.
They were flown from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship where an iconic image of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.
After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.
They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.
Facing Justice on US Territory
On Saturday, footage emerged showing the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office in New York.
The couple are now detained at a federal holding facility within the city.
They face charges including planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs to use against America.
"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.
Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.
