US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged $400,000 Betting Scandal on Venezuela Raid

A US Army master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, has been arrested and charged by the Department of Justice for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. The operation, which aimed to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, resulted in Van Dyke winning approximately $400,000 from $33,000 in bets placed on the outcome. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and made 13 bets between then and January 2026, anticipating the success of the US forces in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, who is an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces. The case has sparked concerns about the misuse of confidential information and the potential risks to national security. Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and activities by changing his email address and asking Polymarket to delete his account. The incident has drawn attention from high-profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of betting using confidential information.