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The US military used Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence tool during the operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, according to a report.
Last month, U.S. special operations forces captured Maduro and his wife, who were brought to the United States to face extensive 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 authorities, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter.
“We cannot comment on whether Claude, or any other AI model, was used for any specific operation, classified or unclassified,” an Anthropic spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Any use of Claude, whether in the private sector or government, must comply with our Usage Policies, which govern how Claude can be deployed. We work closely with our partners to ensure compliance.”
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Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted as he heads toward the U.S. Daniel Patrick Court in Manhattan for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, United States, on January 5, 2026. (Adam Gray/Reuters)
Anthropic’s usage guidelines prohibit Claude from being used for violent purposes, weapons development, or surveillance.
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Anthropic has visibility into classified and unclassified usage and is confident that all usage has been in line with Anthropic’s usage policy, as well as its own partners’ compliance policies.
Contacted by Fox News Digital, the War Department declined to comment.
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The US military reportedly 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 AI models the War Department used in classified operations, according to the Journal.
Anthropic has raised concerns about how the Pentagon may use Claude, prompting Trump administration officials to consider canceling his contract worth up to $200 million, which was awarded last summer, the newspaper reported.
AI tools can be used for everything from summarizing documents to controlling autonomous drones, the outlet noted.
The Trump administration has prioritized the development of AI, and in December Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that “the future of American warfare is here, and it’s spelled AI.”
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Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence model was reportedly used in a classified US military operation against Nicolás Maduro. (Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters)
“As technologies advance, so do our adversaries,” he said. “But here at the War Department, we don’t sit idly by.”