🔗 Share this article

The US claim their military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuela's president involved many weeks of careful preparation, however when Donald Trump issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.

The shocking pre-dawn assault on Saturday signified a historic event in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest of Venezuela's president along with his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force as they attempted to flee inside a heavily secured panic room, the two are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and face narco-terrorism charges.

A Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

At sunrise that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.

Images from the vast military base, an enormous army installation in which top government officials reside, show blasted buildings as well as burned, smoking vehicles.

The location was this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Earlier - Trump Gives the Command

"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (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 neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained completely the advantage of surprise," the top general stated.

Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airfield. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.

Residents have described the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

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

"It was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.

But, 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 make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.

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

However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the bunker, troops could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From Caracas to New York City

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

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

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

They then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Facing Justice in American Soil

That same day, a video was released showing the detainee at the federal drug agency's headquarters in New York.

He and Cilia Flores are presently detained at a federal holding facility in the city.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and bombs against the US.

They are set to encounter the full wrath of the US legal system on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared.

Video shows Maduro's arrival in US and journey into custody.