A U.S. Army Special Forces master sergeant has been arrested and charged after allegedly using classified information from a covert military operation to place predictive bets on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, earning about $400,000 in profits.
According to federal prosecutors, the soldier—identified as Gannon Ken Van Dyke—was directly involved in planning and execution of a secret mission that led to Maduro’s capture in early January 2026.
Before the operation was publicly known, he reportedly opened an account on the prediction market platform Polymarket in December 2025 and began placing wagers on Maduro being removed from power.
Authorities say Van Dyke made multiple bets totaling about $32,000, predicting the outcome of the classified mission. After the operation succeeded, those bets reportedly paid out large returns, drawing immediate attention from investigators and the platform itself.
The U.S. Department of Justice says the soldier attempted to conceal his activities by using digital tools to mask transactions and transferring funds through crypto and foreign accounts. He now faces several federal charges, including wire fraud, commodities fraud, theft of government information, and unlawful monetary transactions.
Officials condemned the alleged conduct, describing it as a serious breach of trust and national security.
The case also marks one of the first major prosecutions involving alleged insider trading linked to geopolitical prediction markets.
The soldier has been taken into custody and is expected to appear in court in the coming days as the investigation continues.
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