WSJ: US military used AI tool in operation to capture Venezuela’s Maduro

The United States military used Anthropic’s artificial-intelligence system, Claude, during the operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter.

Last month, U.S. special operations forces captured Maduro and his wife. They were transported to the United States to face sweeping narcotics charges.

Claude was reportedly deployed through Anthropic’s partnership with Palantir Technologies, whose data platforms are widely used by the U.S. Defense Department and federal law enforcement agencies. The exact role the AI system played in the operation has not been publicly detailed.

Anthropic declined to confirm whether its technology was used in the mission.

"We cannot comment on whether Claude, or any other AI model, was used for any specific operation, classified or otherwise," an Anthropic spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Any use of Claude — whether in the private sector or across government — is required to comply with our Usage Policies, which govern how Claude can be deployed. We work closely with our partners to ensure compliance."

Anthropic’s usage guidelines prohibit Claude from being used for violence, weapons development, or surveillance.

A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Anthropic has visibility into classified and unclassified usage and has confidence that all usage has been in line with Anthropic’s usage policy, as well as its partners’ own compliance policies.

According to the report, Anthropic was the first AI model developer to be used in classified operations by the Department of War.

The Journal also reported that Anthropic has raised concerns about how Claude could be used by the Pentagon. Those concerns have reportedly prompted officials within the Trump administration to consider canceling a contract worth up to $200 million that was awarded last summer.

AI tools such as Claude can be used for a range of purposes, from summarizing documents to potentially assisting in the control of autonomous systems, including drones.

The Trump administration has made artificial intelligence development a national priority. In December, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said "the future of American warfare is here, and it's spelled AI."

By Sabina Mammadli