From within that Venezuelan capital 'fort' to the Manhattan court: The Venezuelan leader's seizure in pictures and geographic charts.

American officials claim the armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader involved months of careful preparation, yet when Donald Trump issued the order to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about 150 minutes.

The unexpected early-morning assault on Saturday marked an unprecedented incident within modern politics and resulted in the arrest for Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Captured by soldiers belonging to an elite American military force while they tried to flee into a fortified secure chamber, the two are currently being held in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Dawn Raid on the Military Complex

As the sun rose on Saturday, the magnitude of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Pictures of Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where senior leadership live, depict destroyed structures and burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Order

The mission began amid reports of explosions at about 02:00 in Caracas (06:00 GMT).

American forces cut power to the city, Trump has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The aim was to disable Venezuela's air defences and clear the way for American assault helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures show the complex on fire, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Residents reported how American choppers flew at low altitude over Caracas, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.

A number of the aircraft were shot at, but were still able to fly, officials said.

There was significant weapons fire," the President noted.

The Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, according to reports.

But, more details were provided. They tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a military "fortress".

"The safe place is all steel, and he wasn't able to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. He reached the entrance. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, troops could have breached it in approximately "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.

They were flown out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship stationed off the coast. The team was back in international waters by 04:29.

Aboard the vessel where one of the defining pictures from the entire mission was captured - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, 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, before a final helicopter transfer into New York City.

Confronting The Legal System on American Soil

On Saturday, footage was released depicting the detainee inside the federal drug agency's main office 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 acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video shows the leader's entry into American and journey into custody.