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The US claim their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's leader involved many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning strike on Saturday marked an unprecedented event in modern politics and resulted in the arrest of Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from an elite US army unit while they attempted to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are now detained in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism accusations.

The Dawn Raid against the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, was evident.

Images of the vast military base, an enormous army installation where senior leadership live, reveal bombed out buildings and burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this compound where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official indicated.

Hours Earlier - Trump Issues the Order

The mission started with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".

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

"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", the top general remarked.

Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, however were still able to fly, officials said.

There was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.

They gained access the facility just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to accounts.

However, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

"It was a very thick entryway, a massive door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."

However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter the bunker, forces could have breached it in about "under a minute."

From Caracas to Manhattan

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

They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" by 04:29.

It was on the ship that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.

From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

They then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

On Saturday, a video emerged depicting Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are presently detained in a detention centre within the city.

They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice on American soil in American courts," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video documents the leader's entry into American and journey to detention.