American officials claim the military operation to capture the South American nation's president took many weeks of planning, yet the moment Donald Trump gave the order to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after about two and a half hours.
The surprise pre-dawn assault on Saturday marked a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Apprehended by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force as they tried to flee inside a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently in custody at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.
The Dawn Raid on the Military Complex
At sunrise on Saturday, the extent of the military operation in the capital, the nation's capital, was evident.
Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where senior leadership live, show blasted buildings as well as burned, smouldering cars.
It was at this facility that the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.
Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order
The mission started with reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).
American forces cut power across the capital, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.
The objective was to neutralize the nation's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.
"We assessed that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer remarked.
Strike locations encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires seen for miles.
Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew low above the city, heading for the military base.
A number of the aircraft came under fire, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.
"It was significant gunfire," the President noted.
A Rapid Ground Assault
After landing, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, moved quickly.
They entered the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without resistance, as per accounts.
However, further information emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.
"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.
"It was a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it."
But even if they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in about "under a minute."
From Caracas to Manhattan
Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.
They were flown from the capital by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29.
It was on the ship that an iconic image from the entire mission emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.
After leaving the ship, his initial stop was to the US Navy base in Cuba.
They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.
Confronting Justice in American Soil
On Saturday, a video was released showing the detainee inside the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city.
The couple are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.
They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and plots to possess machine guns and bombs against the US.
They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.
Footage documents the leader's entry in US and journey into custody.
