🔗 Share this article From that Caracas stronghold all the way to a Manhattan courtroom: Maduro's capture in images as well as geographic charts. American officials state the armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president took many weeks of careful preparation, but when Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours. The shocking early-morning strike this past weekend signified a historic event within contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores. Captured by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force when they tried to escape inside a fortified secure chamber, the pair are currently in custody at a holding facility within New York City and face narco-terrorism charges. The Early Morning Assault against Fuerte Tiuna At sunrise on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, became apparent. Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where key officials reside, reveal destroyed structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles. The location was this compound that Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated. The major military base, the country's biggest military complex, was hit in American airstrikes in the early hours of Saturday morning. Hours Earlier - The President Issues the Command "Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time). The US cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly". The aim was to neutralize the nation's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna. Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general remarked. Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles. Venezuela announced a state of emergency in the wake of the US strikes. Residents reported how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base. Some of the helicopters were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated. "It was significant gunfire," Trump noted. US military helicopters flying over Caracas, with plumes of smoke from earlier air strikes clearly visible. A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault Once on the ground, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed. They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, according to reports. However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, described as a heavily fortified bunker. "The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were too quick. "It was an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it." But even if they had succeeded to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in about "47 seconds". From Caracas to New York City Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City. They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a naval vessel positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29. Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses. A photograph showing the detained leader said to be taken on board the USS Iwo Jima. After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba. They were then flown on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan. An aircraft transporting the detainees lands at a helipad in Manhattan. Maduro was spotted flashing a peace sign when he arrived at the landing site in the city. Heavy security surrounded the landing zone during the arrival in New York City. Confronting Justice in American Soil On Saturday, a video emerged showing Maduro at the federal drug agency's main office in the city. The couple are presently detained at a federal holding facility in the city. They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US. "They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared. Video documents the leader's entry into American and transport into custody.