From within that Venezuelan capital 'fort' all the way to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's apprehension through photographs as well as geographic charts.
American officials claim their armed forces mission to capture the South American nation's president involved months of careful preparation, however the moment Donald Trump gave the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately two and a half hours.
The unexpected early-morning assault this past weekend signified an unprecedented incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest for Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Apprehended by troops belonging to an elite American military force while they attempted to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the two are now in custody at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.
A Early Morning Raid on the Military Complex
At sunrise on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.
Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex in which top government officials live, depict blasted structures and burned, smouldering cars.
The location was this facility that Maduro and his wife were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader a party official stated.
Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of explosions at approximately 02:00 local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
The US cut power across the capital, Trump later described, calling it "dark and deadly".
The goal was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for American assault helicopters to get to the target.
"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.
Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen for miles.
Residents reported how American choppers flew at low altitude above the city, en route to the military base.
Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.
There was significant gunfire," the President noted.
A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation
After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, sprang into action.
They entered to the compound at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, as per accounts.
However, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".
"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door as our personnel were too quick.
It featured a very thick entryway, a massive door," the President told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."
However, even assuming they had managed to get into the safe room, forces could have blown it open in about "under a minute."
From the Capital to New York City
Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 2,100 miles, to New York City.
They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling dark sunglasses.
From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.
The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter into New York City.
Confronting The Legal System on US Territory
On Saturday, footage emerged depicting Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.
He and Cilia Flores are now detained at a federal holding facility in the city.
They face charges with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.
"They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil in American courts," a senior legal official declared.
Footage documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.
