From that Caracas 'fort' to the New York court: The Venezuelan leader's capture in pictures as well as maps.
The US assert the military operation to capture the South American nation's leader took many weeks of careful preparation, but when the US President gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours.
The unexpected early-morning attack this past weekend marked a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Apprehended by soldiers from an elite US army unit when they attempted to escape inside a fortified secure chamber, the couple are currently being held at a holding facility in New York and face narco-terrorism accusations.
A Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna
With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's primary city, became apparent.
Photographs from the vast military base, a huge military complex where key officials reside, depict destroyed buildings and charred, smouldering vehicles.
It was at this compound where the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.
Just Moments Earlier - The President Issues the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of blasts around 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).
American forces disabled electricity to the city, Trump has since said, calling it 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 the target.
Our evaluation was that we had maintained completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer commented.
Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.
Residents have described 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, officials stated.
"It was a lot of gunfire," Trump added.
A Rapid Ground Assault
Once on the ground, forces from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.
They entered to the compound just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts.
But, further information emerged. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".
The secure room was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were so fast.
"It was an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President told reporters. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it."
However, even assuming they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have blown it open in approximately "under a minute."
From Caracas to New York City
Currently under American detention, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported some 3,400 kilometers, to New York City.
They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was completed "over the water" by 04:29.
Aboard the vessel where an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like dark sunglasses.
After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.
They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.
Confronting Justice in American Soil
That same day, a video was released depicting Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.
He and Cilia Flores are presently detained at a federal holding facility in the city.
They have been charged including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess machine guns and bombs to use against America.
"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official declared.
Footage documents Maduro's arrival into American and journey into custody.
