U.S. Soldier Charged with Using Classified Information for Betting on Maduro Capture

A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, has been charged with using classified information to profit over $400,000 by betting on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Van Dyke, 38, stationed at Fort Bragg, participated in the planning and execution of "Operation Absolute Resolve," which led to Maduro's apprehension on January 3, 2026.

According to the indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York, Van Dyke created an account on the prediction market platform Polymarket on December 26, 2025. He placed 13 bets totaling approximately $33,000 on outcomes related to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Maduro's removal from power. Following the successful operation, these bets yielded profits of about $409,881.

The Department of Justice has charged Van Dyke with theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

This case has drawn attention to the use of prediction markets and the potential for insider trading involving sensitive government information. Polymarket has stated that it is enhancing its market integrity rules in response to the incident.