Pentagon used Anthropic's Claude in Maduro Venezuela Raid

Pentagon forces employed Anthropic’s Claude AI system during the military operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The mission involved bombing multiple sites in Caracas last month.

Claude’s deployment occurred through Anthropic’s direct partnership with Palantir Technologies, whose data tools are routinely integrated into Defense Department and federal law enforcement operations.

Palantir facilitated the integration of Claude into the strike planning and execution against Maduro.

Anthropic’s published usage guidelines explicitly prohibit Claude from any involvement in facilitating violence, developing weapons, or conducting surveillance.

Despite these restrictions, Claude was utilized in a violent combat operation targeting a foreign head of state.

Anthropic previously raised internal concerns over Pentagon applications of Claude, prompting Trump administration officials to consider terminating a contract valued at up to $200 million.

An Anthropic spokesman stated: “We cannot comment on whether Claude, or any other AI model, was used for any specific operation, classified or otherwise.”

The spokesman added that all Claude deployments must comply with company usage policies.

The Defense Department declined to comment.

Palantir Technologies provided no immediate response to inquiries.