🔗 Share this article From that Venezuelan capital 'fort' to a New York court: Maduro's capture through pictures as well as geographic charts. American officials claim the military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader involved months of planning, but when the US President gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours. The shocking early-morning attack this past weekend signified a historic event within contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his spouse, Cilia Flores. Captured by troops belonging to an elite American military force while they tried to flee inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations. A Early Morning Assault on Fuerte Tiuna At sunrise that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, was clear. Images from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where key officials live, reveal destroyed structures and burned, smouldering vehicles. It was at this compound where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated. Fuerte Tiuna, the country's biggest military complex, was struck by US strikes early on Saturday morning. Hours Before - Trump Gives the Command The mission started amid reports of explosions around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT). The US disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, calling it pitch black and dangerous. The aim was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and clear the path for US military helicopters to get to the target. Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked. Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance. The country declared a state of emergency following the US strikes. Venezuelans have described how American choppers flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna. A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, officials stated. There was a lot of weapons fire," the President added. US military helicopters soaring above Caracas, with columns of smoke from prior bombings clearly visible. The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed. They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per reports. However, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress". "The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get inside because our guys were so fast. It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," Trump told reporters. He reached to the door. He could not to shut it." But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds". From Caracas to Manhattan Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan. They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The team was back in international waters by 04:29. It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses. A photograph showing the detained leader reportedly taken on board the warship. After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba. The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan. A helicopter transporting the detainees lands at a helipad in New York City. Maduro could be seen flashing a V-sign upon arrival at the landing site in New York. Heavy security was present around the landing zone as the Maduros arrived in Manhattan. Confronting The Legal System in US Territory That same day, a video emerged showing the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city. He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre in the city. They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and destructive devices to use against America. "They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed. Video documents the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.