US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over $400,000 Bet on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested an Army master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using confidential government information for personal gain. Van Dyke is accused of placing $33,000 in bets on the outcome of a raid in Venezuela, which resulted in the detention of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and winning approximately $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the potential US military operation in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The defendant allegedly attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. The case has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.