🔗 Share this article From the Venezuelan capital stronghold to the New York courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's capture in pictures as well as geographic charts. The US state the military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader required months of careful preparation, but the moment Donald Trump gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately two and a half hours. The shocking early-morning strike this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident within modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro. Seized by troops belonging to a top-tier US army unit while they attempted to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the couple are now in custody in a detention centre in New York and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments. A Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex With daybreak that morning, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent. Photographs of the vast military base, a huge military complex in which top government officials reside, reveal blasted buildings and burned, smouldering cars. The location was this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated. Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's biggest military complex, was struck by US strikes in the early hours of that Saturday. Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Order The mission began amid reports of explosions at about 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT). The US disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly". The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna. "We assessed that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked. Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance. Venezuela declared a state of emergency following the US strikes. Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew low above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna. A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, officials stated. "It was a lot of gunfire," Trump added. American aircraft flying over the capital, with columns of smoke from prior bombings plainly seen. A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly. They gained access to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts. But, more details were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker. "The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were so fast. It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. He reached the entrance. He was unable to shut it." But even if they had succeeded to get into the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute." From the Capital to Manhattan Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City. They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed off the coast. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM. It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses. A photograph of Maduro reportedly taken on board the warship. After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba. The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City. A helicopter carrying the detainees touches down at a helipad in Manhattan. The Venezuelan leader was spotted showing 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 New York City. Confronting Justice in American Soil On Saturday, a video emerged depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York. The couple are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city. They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices to use against America. They are set to encounter the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed. Footage documents the leader's entry into American and transport into custody.