From within that Caracas stronghold to the New York courtroom: The Venezuelan leader's seizure in pictures as well as maps.
American officials claim the military operation to capture Venezuela's leader took many weeks of planning, but when Donald Trump issued the order to launch, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" was completed in roughly two and a half hours.
The shocking early-morning attack this past weekend signified an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and resulted in the detention of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Apprehended by soldiers from an elite American military force when they attempted to flee inside a fortified secure chamber, the two are now in custody at a holding facility in New York and face drug trafficking and terrorism indictments.
A Dawn Assault against Fuerte Tiuna
As the sun rose on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's capital, was evident.
Images from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where top government officials reside, show destroyed structures as well as burned, smouldering cars.
The location was this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández stated.
Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Order
"Operation Absolute Resolve" commenced amid reports of blasts at about 2 AM local time (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
American forces cut power to the city, the President later described, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.
The objective was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and clear the way for American assault helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.
Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.
Strike locations encompassed the base, a maritime facility and an airport. Pictures depict Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance.
Residents have described how US military helicopters flew low above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.
A number of the aircraft came under fire, however managed to continue flying, officials stated.
"It was significant weapons fire," the President noted.
A Rapid On-the-Ground Operation
After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.
They gained access the facility at 02:01 local time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, as per accounts.
But, more details emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".
"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door as our personnel were so fast.
"It was an extremely heavy door, a massive door," the President informed the media. He reached to the door. He was unable to shut it."
However, even assuming they had succeeded to get into the bunker, forces could have blown it open in approximately "47 seconds".
From the Capital to New York City
Now in US custody, the couple were transported approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.
They were taken by air from the capital by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a warship positioned off the coast. The operation was completed in international waters before 4:30 AM.
It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures from the entire mission emerged - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.
After leaving the ship, his initial stop was at the American naval installation in Cuba.
They then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York state, and then via helicopter into New York City.
Confronting Justice on US Territory
That same day, a video was released showing Maduro at the federal drug agency's headquarters in the city.
He and Cilia Flores are presently being held in a detention centre in the city.
They have been charged including planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices against the US.
"They will soon face the full wrath of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.
Footage documents Maduro's arrival into American and journey to detention.
