- President Donald Trump approved U.S. military land strikes in Venezuela several days before the operation, according to two U.S. officials cited by CBS News.
- U.S. military planners delayed execution due to competing operations and weather conditions until suitable strike windows became available.
President Donald Trump approved U.S. military strikes in Venezuela days before the operation was carried out, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.
The officials said the president gave the U.S. military authorization to conduct land strikes in Venezuela several days ahead of the action. Planning for the mission continued through the Christmas period, with military leaders reviewing potential timelines and operational windows before proceeding.
According to the sources, U.S. military officials initially discussed executing the Venezuela operation on Christmas Day. That plan was set aside after U.S. forces carried out airstrikes in Nigeria against targets linked to Islamic State, which took priority at the time.
In the days following Christmas, additional strike windows became available to U.S. planners. The officials said those opportunities were not used because weather conditions did not meet operational requirements. Military planners sought conditions that would support aircraft performance, targeting accuracy, and overall mission execution.
The sources emphasized that weather was a central factor in determining the final timing of the Venezuela strikes. They said U.S. military leadership delayed the operation until conditions were assessed as favorable to mission success, rather than moving forward on an earlier date with reduced margins.
The approval process described by the officials reflects standard U.S. military practice, in which the president authorizes an operation while commanders retain discretion over the exact timing based on operational factors. The officials did not provide details on the specific targets approved, the forces involved, or the scope of the land strikes.
There was no immediate public comment from the White House confirming the account provided to CBS News. The U.S. military also did not release a statement detailing the authorization timeline or internal deliberations described by the officials.
The officials did not indicate whether additional strike plans were presented to the president after the initial approval or whether any changes were made to the target set during the delay period. They also did not describe the duration of the operation or whether follow-on actions were considered once the mission began.
U.S. military operations typically require coordination across multiple combatant commands, particularly when simultaneous actions are underway in different regions. The Nigeria airstrikes referenced by the officials were cited as an example of competing operational demands during the same period.