🔗 Share this article From within the Venezuelan capital 'fort' to a Manhattan court: Maduro's capture through photographs and geographic charts. American officials assert their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending Venezuela's leader involved many weeks of careful preparation, but when Donald Trump gave the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly 150 minutes. The unexpected pre-dawn attack this past weekend signified an unprecedented incident within contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention for Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro. Seized by troops from an elite American military force when they attempted to escape inside a heavily secured panic room, the pair are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism indictments. The Dawn Assault on the Military Complex As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was evident. Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which senior leadership reside, show destroyed structures and charred, smouldering cars. It was at this compound that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official stated. The major military base, the country's biggest military complex, was hit by US strikes early on Saturday morning. Just Moments Earlier - Trump Issues the Command The mission started amid reports of explosions at about 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT). The US cut power to the city, the President has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly". The goal was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to the target. Our evaluation was that we successfully kept completely the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked. Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance. The country announced a state of emergency following the American attacks. Venezuelans reported how American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna. Some of the helicopters came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated. There was significant weapons fire," Trump added. US military helicopters flying over Caracas, with columns of smoke from earlier air strikes clearly visible. A Rapid Ground Assault After landing, forces from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action. They gained access the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per accounts. However, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, described as a military "fortress". The secure room is all steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were too quick. It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," the President informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it." But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in approximately "under a minute." From Caracas to New York City Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan. They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM. Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses. A photograph showing the detained leader said to be captured aboard the warship. After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City. An aircraft carrying the detainees lands at a helipad in New York City. Maduro could be seen flashing a V-sign when he arrived at the landing site in the city. Heavy security surrounded the helipad during the arrival in Manhattan. Confronting The Legal System on US Territory That same day, a video emerged depicting the detainee at the federal drug agency's main office in the city. He and Cilia Flores are now being held at a federal holding facility in the city. They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and bombs to use against America. "They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared. Video documents the leader's entry into American and journey into custody.