It was revealed on Friday that Anthropic’s AI model, Claude, was utilized in the US military’s operation aimed at capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro referencing sources familiar with the situation.
The implementation of Claude was made possible through Anthropic’s collaboration with data firm Palantir Technologies, whose platforms are extensively employed by the Defense Department and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the report.
According to sources, the Pentagon is urging leading AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to provide their artificial intelligence tools on classified networks with fewer of the standard limitations that these companies typically impose on users.
Numerous AI firms are developing tailored tools for the US military, most of which are restricted to unclassified networks generally used for military administration.
Anthropic stands out as the only company whose tools are accessible in classified environments through third parties, although the US government remains subject to the company’s usage policies.
The usage policies established by Anthropic, which recently secured $30 billion in its latest funding round and is currently valued at $380 billion, prohibit the use of Claude for promoting violence, designing weapons, or conducting surveillance.
In an operation, the United States apprehended President Nicolas Maduro and transported him to New York to confront drug-trafficking charges in early January.
Nicolas Maduro captured using AI
Earlier this year, United States President Donald Trump confirmed on the social media platform Truth Social that Washington captured Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife in a large-scale operation on January 3, 2026.
The capture of the Maduro couple signified the peak of escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, which trace back to 1998 with the election of President Hugo Chavez, a Venezuelan socialist known for his anti-US rhetoric and his close alliances with Cuba, Iran, and Russia.
After Chavez’s passing in 2013, Nicolas Maduro assumed leadership and grew increasingly hostile towards the United States over the subsequent years.
The friction between the two nations intensified markedly starting in September 2025, when the Trump administration initiated targeted maritime strikes against vessels identified as engaging in narco-terrorism by attempting to transport illegal drugs into the United States.
