From the Venezuelan capital 'fort' to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's seizure in images and maps.
The US state the military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president involved months of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly 150 minutes.
The shocking early-morning strike on Saturday represented a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force when they attempted to flee inside a fortified panic room, the two are now in custody in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.
The Dawn Raid against Fuerte Tiuna
At sunrise that morning, the extent of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was clear.
Pictures of the vast military base, a huge military complex in which top government officials live, show bombed out buildings and charred, smouldering cars.
The location was this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.
Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced with reports of explosions at approximately 2 AM in Caracas (06:00 GMT).
American forces cut power across the capital, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.
The goal was to neutralize the nation's air defense systems and open up the path for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.
Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", the top general remarked.
Targeted sites encompassed the compound, a port and an airport. Pictures show the complex on fire, with huge flames seen from a great distance.
Residents have described how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.
A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.
"It was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added.
A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault
After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.
They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts.
But, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.
"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it inside as our personnel were too quick.
It featured a very thick entryway, a massive door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He was unable to close it."
But even if they had managed to get into the safe room, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".
From Caracas to New York City
Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.
They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The team was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.
From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.
The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.
Facing Justice in US Territory
That same day, footage emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.
The couple are presently detained in a detention centre within the city.
They face charges with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire machine guns and bombs against the US.
"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 into American and journey to detention.
