🔗 Share this article From within the Caracas stronghold to the New York courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's apprehension in photographs and maps. American officials claim their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader involved months of careful preparation, yet the moment the US President issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted roughly two and a half hours. The shocking early-morning attack on Saturday marked a historic incident in contemporary international relations and resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro. Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force when they attempted to escape into a fortified panic room, the two are currently in custody at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's primary city, became apparent. Photographs from the vast military base, a massive army installation where senior leadership reside, show blasted buildings as well as burned, smouldering cars. It was at this base that the president and first lady were apprehended, Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández indicated. The major military base, Venezuela's biggest military complex, was hit by US strikes early on that Saturday. Just Moments Earlier - The President Gives the Order "Operation Absolute Resolve" began amid reports of blasts at approximately 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time). The US disabled electricity across the capital, the President later described, calling it pitch black and dangerous. The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defences and open up the path for US military helicopters to reach the target. Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer stated. Targeted sites included the base, a port and an airfield. Images depict the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance. Venezuela announced a national emergency following the American attacks. Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude over Caracas, en route to the military base. Some of the helicopters came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials stated. "It was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added. American aircraft soaring above the capital, with plumes of smoke from prior bombings plainly seen. A Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed. They gained access to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per reports. But, more details emerged. The Maduros attempted to flee into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker. "The safe place was constructed of steel, and he wasn't able to make it inside because our guys were so fast. It featured a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to close it." But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, troops could have breached it in approximately "under a minute." From Caracas to Manhattan Now in US custody, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan. They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship stationed off the coast. The team was back in international waters before 4:30 AM. Aboard the vessel that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - Maduro shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses. An image of Maduro reportedly taken on board the warship. After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay. They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan. An aircraft transporting the detainees lands on a landing pad in Manhattan. The Venezuelan leader was spotted flashing a peace sign upon arrival at the landing site in New York. Tight security surrounded the helipad as the Maduros arrived in Manhattan. Facing Justice on US Territory On Saturday, footage emerged depicting the detainee at the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York. He and Cilia Flores are now being held in a detention centre within the city. They have been charged with planning drug-related terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US. "They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed. Footage shows the leader's entry into American and journey to detention.