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

The US Department of Justice has arrested a master sergeant in the Army, alleging that he used classified information about a military operation in Venezuela to place bets worth $33,000, which yielded approximately $400,000 in winnings. Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been charged with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the potential US military action in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The defendant, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and transactions after the raid. The case has drawn attention to the use of classified information for personal financial gain and the potential risks to national security.