US military used Anthropic’s Claude AI in Nicolás Maduro capture operation
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According to a report, the US military used Anthropic’s AI tool Claude during the operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Last month, US special operations forces captured Maduro and his wife, who were brought to the US to face sweeping narcotics charges.
Claude was deployed through Anthropic’s partnership with data company Palantir Technologies, whose tools are widely used by the Department of Defense and federal law enforcement. Wall StreetJournalhe cited people familiar with the subject.
“We cannot comment on whether Claude or any other AI model was used for a specific operation, classified or otherwise,” an Anthropic spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Any use of Claude, whether in the private sector or government-wide, is required to comply with our Use Policies, which govern how Claude may be distributed. We work closely with our partners to ensure compliance.”
EXPERTS SAY US PRESSURE ON VENEZUELA SHOWS IT IS DETERRENT AGAINST ENEMIES ON THREE FRONTS
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro escorts Daniel Patrick to the Manhattan U.S. Courthouse to face U.S. federal charges that include narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2026. (Adam Gray/Reuters)
Anthropic’s terms of use prohibit the use of Claude for violence, weapons development, or surveillance.
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Anthropic has visibility into confidential and unclassified use and trusts that all use complies with Anthropic’s usage policy as well as its partners’ own compliance policies.
Reached by Fox News Digital, the War Department declined to comment.
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It was reported that the US military used Anthropic’s artificial intelligence tool Claude during the operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Anthropic was the first developer of artificial intelligence models used by the War Department in covert operations, according to the Journal.
Anthropic expressed concerns about how Claude could be used by the Pentagon, prompting Trump administration officials to consider canceling the $200 million contract signed last summer, the newspaper reported.
The outlet noted that AI tools can be used for everything from summarizing documents to controlling autonomous drones.
The Trump administration has prioritized AI development, and in December Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said, “The future of American warfare is here, and it’s being written in AI.”
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Anthropic’s AI model Claude was reportedly used in a covert US military operation targeting Nicolás Maduro. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
“As technologies advance, so do our enemies,” he said. “But we’re not sitting idle here at the War Department.”
