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

A US Army Master Sergeant has been arrested for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, also known as the 'green berets', was involved in the planning and execution of the operation to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. 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 US military operation in Venezuela. The US Department of Justice has charged Van Dyke with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint in federal court. Van Dyke 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 betting using confidential information.