🔗 Share this article

American officials state their military operation to capture Venezuela's president required months of careful preparation, yet when Donald Trump gave the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" was completed in about two and a half hours.

The shocking early-morning assault this past weekend signified an unprecedented incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the detention for Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier American military force while they tried to escape inside a fortified safe room, the couple are currently detained at a holding facility within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Early Morning Raid against the Military Complex

With daybreak that morning, the extent of the military operation in the capital, Venezuela's capital, was evident.

Pictures of the vast military base, a huge army installation in which senior leadership reside, show blasted structures and burned, smouldering vehicles.

The location was this compound where the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández reported.

Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Order

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

American forces disabled electricity 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 reach the target.

Our evaluation was that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," the top general commented.

Targeted sites included the base, a maritime facility and an airfield. Pictures show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible from a great distance.

Venezuelans have described how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.

"It was a lot of weapons fire," Trump added.

The Rapid Ground Assault

After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, moved quickly.

They entered to the compound just after 2 AM Caracas time, and the presidential couple surrendered without a struggle, according to accounts.

But, further information were provided. They tried to escape into a safe place, described as a military "fortress".

The secure room is all steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were too quick.

It featured an extremely heavy door, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it the entrance. He could not to shut it."

But even if they had managed to enter the safe room, forces could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, 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 naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The operation was completed in international waters by 04:29.

It was on the ship where an iconic image from the entire mission was captured - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

They then traveled via official aircraft to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in American Soil

That same day, footage was released showing Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) headquarters in New York.

The couple are now being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosives, and plots to possess such weapons and destructive devices to use against America.

They are set to encounter the complete force of the US legal system in the United States within US courtrooms," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Video documents the leader's entry into American and journey to detention.