From within that Venezuelan capital stronghold all the way to a New York court: Maduro's seizure in photographs and geographic charts.
American officials state their armed forces mission aimed at apprehending the South American nation's president took many weeks of planning, yet the moment the US President gave the order to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted approximately 150 minutes.
The unexpected pre-dawn strike on Saturday signified a historic incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest for Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Captured by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force when they attempted to escape into a heavily secured panic room, the couple are now in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.
The Dawn Assault against the Military Complex
With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in the capital, the nation's primary city, was evident.
Images of Fuerte Tiuna, a massive military complex where top government officials reside, show blasted structures and charred, smoking cars.
The location was this compound that the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure a party official stated.
Hours Earlier - Trump Gives the Command
"Operation Absolute Resolve" started amid reports of explosions at approximately 2 AM local time (06:00 GMT).
The US cut power to the city, the President later described, calling it "dark and deadly".
The objective was to disable Venezuela's air defense systems and open up the way for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.
"We assessed that we successfully kept completely the element of surprise", a senior military officer stated.
Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna on fire, with massive fires seen from a great distance.
Venezuelans reported the way American choppers flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base.
Some of the helicopters were shot at, however were still able to fly, military leaders stated.
There was significant gunfire," Trump added.
The Lightning-Fast Ground Assault
Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.
They gained access the facility at 02:01 Caracas time, and the presidential couple "gave up" without a struggle, as per reports.
However, further information were provided. The Maduros attempted to flee into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".
The secure room was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were so fast.
It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," Trump informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable 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 New York City
Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.
They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to a US warship, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.
Aboard the vessel that an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - Maduro shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.
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 in US Territory
That same day, a video was released showing Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in the city.
The couple are now detained at a federal holding facility in the city.
They have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to acquire such weapons and destructive devices against the US.
"They will soon face the complete force of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General declared.
Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey to detention.
