From within that Caracas 'fort' all the way to the Manhattan court: Maduro's capture through photographs as well as maps.
The US assert their military operation to capture the South American nation's leader involved months of planning, however when the US President gave the command to commence, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly two and a half hours.
The shocking early-morning attack this past weekend signified an unprecedented event in contemporary international relations and culminated in the detention of Nicolás Maduro along with his spouse, Cilia Flores de Maduro.
Seized by soldiers from an elite American military force while they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the two are currently detained at a holding facility within New York City and are confronting narco-terrorism charges.
A Dawn Assault on Fuerte Tiuna
As the sun rose that morning, the scale of the armed intervention in Caracas, Venezuela's primary city, was evident.
Photographs of Fuerte Tiuna, an enormous military complex in which top government officials live, depict blasted structures and burned, smouldering vehicles.
It was at this facility where the president and first lady were apprehended, a senior political figure Nahum Fernández indicated.
Just Moments Before - The President Gives the Command
The mission began amid reports of blasts around 02:00 in Caracas (6:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
American forces disabled electricity to the city, the President has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.
The goal was to neutralize Venezuela's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.
"We assessed that we successfully kept totally the element of surprise", the top general commented.
Targeted sites encompassed the base, a port and an airport. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with huge flames visible from a great distance.
Residents reported the way US military helicopters flew at low altitude above the city, heading for Fuerte Tiuna.
A number of the aircraft came under fire, but managed to continue flying, officials stated.
There was a lot of weapons fire," the President noted.
A Lightning-Fast Ground Assault
After landing, troops from an elite special operations unit, acted with speed.
They entered to the compound at 02:01 Caracas time, and the Maduros "gave up" without a struggle, according to accounts.
However, further information emerged. The Maduros tried to escape into a safe place, referred to as a military "fortress".
"The safe place is all steel, and he failed to make it inside because our guys were too quick.
It featured an extremely heavy door, a massive door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to shut it."
But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, forces could have breached it in about "under a minute."
From the Capital to Manhattan
Now in US custody, the couple were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to Manhattan.
They were taken by air out of Caracas via chopper, and transferred to a US warship, 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 of the whole operation emerged - the president in handcuffs, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear that looked like opaque glasses.
From the USS Iwo Jima, he was first flown to the US Navy base in Cuba.
They then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.
Facing Justice on American Soil
On Saturday, footage was released depicting the detainee inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.
He and Cilia Flores are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.
They face charges with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and plots 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," a senior legal official declared.
Video documents the leader's entry in US and journey into custody.
