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

The US Department of Justice has taken action against a high-ranking Army official, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly exploiting confidential government information for personal financial gain. The charges include unlawful use of sensitive information, theft of non-public government data, and fraud, stemming from his involvement in a military operation to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Van Dyke is accused of placing bets totaling $33,000 on the outcome of the raid through the platform Polymarket, ultimately winning around $400,000. According to US Attorney Jay Clayton, 'The defendant's actions constitute a clear case of insider trading, which is illegal under federal law.' The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, allegedly created a Polymarket account and placed multiple bets on contracts related to the potential US invasion of Venezuela and the removal of Maduro. Following the raid, he reportedly withdrew his winnings, converted them into a stablecoin, and transferred the funds into a brokerage account. The investigation was initiated after news organizations noticed significant profits from these bets, and it is alleged that Van Dyke attempted to conceal his identity by requesting that Polymarket delete his account and changing his email address. Polymarket has stated that it identified the suspicious activity and cooperated with the DOJ's investigation. The incident has also drawn comment from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the practice of using confidential information for betting purposes, describing the world as having 'become somewhat of a casino'.