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

The US Department of Justice has indicted a serving Army Master Sergeant, alleging he unlawfully used sensitive government information for personal gain by betting on the outcome of a military operation in Venezuela. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, is accused of placing $33,000 in bets on the raid that led to the detention of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and made 13 bets between then and January 2026 on the likelihood of US forces landing in Venezuela and removing Maduro. The US Attorney's office stated that Van Dyke's actions constitute insider trading and are illegal under federal law. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, citing that his actions endangered US national security and put American service members' lives at risk. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly withdrew his winnings, converted them to a stablecoin, and transferred the funds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before moving them to a brokerage account. The investigation was initiated after news organizations noticed the large profit made from the bets, and it was discovered that Van Dyke had attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. Polymarket has since stated that it identified the suspicious activity, reported it to the DOJ, and cooperated with the investigation. The incident has also drawn comment from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes, describing the world as having become 'somewhat of a casino'.