From the Caracas 'fort' to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's apprehension in pictures as well as maps.
American officials claim their military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president took many weeks of careful preparation, yet the moment Donald Trump issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.
The unexpected early-morning assault on Saturday represented a historic incident in modern politics and led directly to the detention for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Captured by soldiers belonging to a top-tier American military force as they attempted to flee into a heavily secured safe room, the pair are currently being held at a holding facility within New York City and face narco-terrorism indictments.
A Dawn Raid on Fuerte Tiuna
As the sun rose on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.
Images of the vast military base, a massive military complex where top government officials live, show bombed out structures as well as burned, smoking vehicles.
The location was this base where Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated.
Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Command
"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).
American forces cut power across the capital, Trump later described, describing it as "dark and deadly".
The aim was to disable the nation's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to get to the target.
"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", the top general commented.
Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Images depict the complex on fire, with massive fires visible for miles.
Residents have described how US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base.
A number of the aircraft were shot at, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.
There was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.
A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault
Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.
They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without resistance, according to reports.
However, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, 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 so fast.
"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a massive door," the President told reporters. "He made it to the door. He was unable to shut it."
However, even assuming they had managed to get into the bunker, troops could have breached it in about "under a minute."
From Caracas to New York City
Now in US custody, the couple were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.
They were flown out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.
After leaving the ship, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.
They were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.
Facing Justice in US Territory
On Saturday, footage was released showing the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.
The couple are presently detained at a federal holding facility in the city.
They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to acquire machine guns and destructive devices against the US.
They are set to encounter the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.
Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.
