🔗 Share this article From within that Caracas 'fort' all the way to the New York court: Maduro's capture through images and maps. American officials claim the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president involved many weeks of planning, however when the US President gave the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours. The surprise pre-dawn assault this past weekend marked a historic event in modern politics and resulted in the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores. Apprehended by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force while they attempted to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are now being held in a detention centre in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations. The Dawn Assault against Fuerte Tiuna With daybreak that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, became apparent. Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex where key officials reside, reveal bombed out structures and charred, smouldering vehicles. It was at this base that Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated. Fuerte Tiuna, the country's largest military complex, was targeted by US strikes early on Saturday morning. Hours Before - Trump Gives the Command "Operation Absolute Resolve" began with reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time). American forces disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, calling it "dark and deadly". The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna. Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer commented. Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles. The country declared a state of emergency following the US strikes. Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for the military base. A number of the aircraft came under fire, but were still able to fly, officials said. There was significant weapons fire," Trump added. American aircraft soaring above Caracas, with plumes of smoke from prior bombings plainly seen. A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly. They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, according to accounts. But, further information were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress". "The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to make it to the door because our guys were so fast. It featured a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it." But even if they had succeeded to get into the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute." From Caracas to Manhattan Currently under American detention, the couple were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City. They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" by 04:29. It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and a type of blindfold resembling dark sunglasses. A photograph showing the detained leader reportedly taken on board the warship. From the USS Iwo Jima, his initial stop was to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. 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 carrying the detainees touches down at a helipad in New York City. The Venezuelan leader could be seen showing a peace sign upon arrival at the landing site in New York. Heavy security was present around the helipad during the arrival in New York City. Facing Justice on American Soil On Saturday, a video was released showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city. He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility in the city. They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America. "They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official declared. Footage documents the leader's entry in US and transport into custody.