From the Venezuelan capital 'fort' all the way to a New York court: The Venezuelan leader's capture in pictures as well as maps.
American officials claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president required many weeks of careful preparation, but when Donald Trump issued the command to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in approximately 150 minutes.
The unexpected pre-dawn assault this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident in modern politics and led directly to the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores.
Captured by troops belonging to an elite American military force when they tried to escape inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the two are now detained at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism indictments.
The Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex
As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, was clear.
Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge army installation where key officials live, reveal bombed out buildings as well as charred, smoking vehicles.
It was at this facility that Maduro and his wife were captured, a senior political figure a party official indicated.
Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of explosions around 2 AM in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
The US cut power to the city, the President has since said, describing it as "dark and deadly".
The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the way for US military helicopters to reach the target.
Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.
Strike locations encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.
Venezuelans reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.
A number of the aircraft were shot at, however managed to continue flying, military leaders stated.
"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump noted.
The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault
After landing, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.
They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per accounts.
However, more details emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a heavily fortified bunker.
The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.
It featured a very thick door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it."
But even if they had succeeded to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in about "47 seconds".
From the Capital to New York City
Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.
They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation was captured - the president in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.
After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.
They were then flown via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.
Facing Justice on American Soil
That same day, footage emerged showing the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.
The couple are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city.
They have been charged including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.
They are set to encounter the complete force of American justice in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official declared.
Video documents the leader's entry into American and journey to detention.
