US EditionUS soldier charged with making $400,000 on Maduro removal bets
Prosecutors say he used classified details from a covert operation to win about $400,000 on Polymarket, the first U.S. insider-trading case on a prediction market.
- On Thursday, federal prosecutors arrested U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, accusing him of using classified information about Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's capture to win more than $400,000 on Polymarket.
- Van Dyke, an active-duty special forces soldier, was involved in planning Operation Absolute Resolve beginning December 8, 2025. Before the January 3 raid, he placed 13 bets totaling $33,034 on 'YES' outcomes regarding U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
- Polymarket identified the suspicious trades and referred the matter to the DOJ, cooperating with the investigation. Prosecutors allege Van Dyke then moved his winnings through a foreign cryptocurrency 'vault' before depositing funds into a new brokerage account.
- FBI Director Kash Patel stated, 'Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable.' The case marks the first criminal prosecution of insider trading on a prediction market.
- President Donald Trump remarked, 'The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino,' as lawmakers advance the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 to regulate official trading on such platforms.
186 Articles
186 Articles
DOJ says Green Beret used classified information to make Polymarket bets on Maduro mission
A senior Army Green Beret used his inside knowledge of clandestine operations to make more than $400,000 by betting on the timing of Operation Absolute Resolve, the Jan. 3 mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
Nicolás Maduro: Us Soldier Is Said to Have Bet on the Fall of Venezuelan Power with Secret Knowledge
A successful bet on the downfall of Nicolás Maduro had triggered speculation in the US for months. Now, investigators accuse a soldier of using secret knowledge of an American military action.
Just hours before the military action against the Venezuelan president, the staff sergeant placed a suspiciously good bet.
US soldier arrested for allegedly making over $400,000 on Polymarket with classified Maduro information
United States soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been arrested and charged for placing bets on prediction marketplace Polymarket using classified information he had access to related to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The US Army Special Forces master sergeant, who was directly involved with the planning and execution of the operation, allegedly made $409,881 in profits. According to the Department of Justice, Van Dyke cr…
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