US4 min(s) read
Published 08:50 24 Apr 2026 GMT
A US "Green Berets" soldier is facing hard time after it was discovered that he placed bets on the capture and removal of Venezuelan former leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by the US Army Special Forces on January 3 in a dramatic overnight raid, as they were brought to New York on weapons and drug offences, which they have denied.
The ex-leader is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
It's been reported that the soldier who bet on the removal of Maduro was involved in the military operation that captured the politician, before making a six-figure profit.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has now charged Gannon Ken Van Dyke after he bet money on the event before the information was made public.
According to the BBC, he made trades on the crypto-powered platform Polymarket, with the knowledge of classified information.
The active-duty soldier in the US Army was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, prior to his arrest.
Van Dyke managed to win over $409,000 as a result of his bets, as justice department officials stated: "That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law."
He had allegedly put money on the timing and outcome of the military operation, which was coined Operation Absolute Resolve.
The Justice Department said that the soldier did it "all to turn a profit," in a statement released on Thursday (April 23).
They claimed that around December 26, 2025, the soldier made a Polymarket account and started to trade on markets covering Maduro and Venezuela.
He is now accused of making bets in excess of $33,000 while in possession of classified information to do with Operation Absolute Resolve, and is facing up to 60 years behind bars.
The soldier has been charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, in addition to theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction, according to an indictment.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: "Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,
"Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply."
US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York highlighted that prediction markets "are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain," with Van Dyke's case set to proceed in his district.
According to DOJ officials, soldiers are made to sign nondisclosure agreements where they promise to "'never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information' relating to military operations".
Trump was asked about the alleged betting at an event on Thursday, where he admitted he had not heard of it until then.
He was asked about concerns that prediction markets may lead to insider trading, with the President replying that he is "not happy with any of that stuff".
The President said: "The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino, and you look at what's going on all over the world, in Europe and every place, they're doing these betting things,
"I was never much in favour of it."
Polymarket have since commented on the scandal, saying in a statement on Thursday: "When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation.
"Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works."
Federal prosecutors say that from December 8, 2025, to January 6, 2026, Van Dyke was involved in planning and executing the confidential operation, having access to classified information.
The commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an independent US federal agency, also reportedly filed a complaint against the soldier after he engaged in insider trading.
