US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged $400,000 Betting Scheme on Venezuela Operation

The US Department of Justice has taken into custody a master sergeant from the US Army, accusing him of misusing confidential government information for personal financial gain. The sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, allegedly used his knowledge of an impending operation in Venezuela to place approximately $33,000 in bets, resulting in winnings of about $400,000. According to the allegations, Van Dyke created an account on the betting platform Polymarket 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, was allegedly involved in the planning and execution of the operation to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Following the operation, Van Dyke reportedly withdrew his winnings, converted them into a stablecoin, and transferred the funds into a brokerage account. It is alleged that Van Dyke attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. The case has drawn attention to the issue of insider trading and the use of confidential information for personal gain. US President Donald Trump has expressed his disapproval of such practices, stating that the world has become like a casino and that he does not conceptually favor betting.