The United States’ audacious military operation to seize Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela came after an order was issued at 10.46pm ET on Friday (3.46am BST on Saturday). US President wished those involved “Good luck and godspeed” ahead of 150 aircraft taking to the skies from 20 bases.

US Special Forces personnel and FBI agents travelled in helicopters 100 feet over the Caribbean Sea as fighter jets, bombers and drones flew overhead. As they arrived over the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, the military aircraft smashed air defence systems. Despite coming under fire, the helicopters reached their target, with one hit but still airborne.

Mr Trump, who was watching a live stream of the operation unfold from Mar-a-Lago, said US forces faced a lot of gunfire when they arrived but managed to enter Maduro’s compound.

The US president said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured as they tried to flee to a safe room reinforced with steel.

He said rehearsals ahead of the operation involved blowing the steel door up, but ultimately that wasn’t necessary. Troops also carried blowtorches to break into the safe room, but these weren’t needed.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said drones and fighter jets provided overhead cover and “suppressive fire” as troops exited the compound with Maduro.

Mr Caine said troops saw “multiple self-defence engagements” as they started to withdraw. Mr Trump said no US troops were killed during the mission, but a few were wounded.

The attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes. At least seven explosions sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report what they saw and heard.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said some civilians and members of the military were killed, but she didn’t give a number.

US forces were flying back to bases by 3.29am ET (8.29am BST) on Saturday, according to Mr Caine. The US President confirmed the operation on his Truth Social platform at 4.21am ET (9.21am BST).

Maduro’s routines and the places he visited were tracked for months by the CIA on the ground in Venezuela, according to a source cited by the US media outlet Axios.

The source said that work started in August, with Mr Trump telling Fox News on Saturday that US Special Forces had been practising the operation on a replica of Maduro’s “fortress”.

A plane carrying the deposed leader landed at around 4.30pm ET on Saturday (9.30pm BST) at an airport in New York City’s northern suburbs.

Maduro was escorted off the jet, gingerly making his way down a set of steps before being led across the tarmac surrounded by federal agents. Several agents filmed him on their phones as he walked past.

He was then flown by helicopter to Manhattan, where a convoy of law enforcement vehicles, including an armoured car, was waiting to whisk him to a nearby US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office.

A video posted on social media by a White House account showed Maduro smiling as he was escorted through that office by two DEA agents grasping his arms.

He was expected to be detained while awaiting trial at a federal jail in Brooklyn. US officials didn’t immediately confirm Maduro was at the jail, but the same motorcade of vehicles that brought him to the DEA office from the heliport was seen arriving at the detention centre on Saturday evening.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that Maduro had been indicted on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and cocaine importation conspiracy.

Mr Trump said his plan is to exploit the leadership vacuum in Venezuela to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of the fossil fuel to other countries.

In a post on Truth Social shortly before addressing the media, he posted an image which appeared to show the autocratic leader blindfolded aboard the US warship Iwo Jima and headed to New York.

Mr Trump insisted on Saturday that the US Government would run the South American country at least temporarily and was already doing so.

Venezuelan state TV continued to air pro-Maduro propaganda, broadcasting live images of supporters taking to the streets in Caracas to protest.