US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Confidential Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army officer, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using confidential government information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, is accused of using his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets, resulting in approximately $400,000 in winnings. The indictment charges Van Dyke with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the US Attorney, Van Dyke 'allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit.' The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The case highlights concerns about the use of confidential information for personal gain and the potential risks to national security. Van Dyke allegedly created a Polymarket account and placed multiple bets on contracts related to the military operation in Venezuela. After the raid, he allegedly withdrew his winnings and attempted to conceal his identity by changing his email address and asking Polymarket to delete his account. The incident has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.