US Army Green Beret Arrested for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

A US Army master sergeant has been arrested and charged with unlawfully using government information for personal gain, following allegations that he placed bets on a military operation in Venezuela. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a member of the US Army Special Forces, allegedly used his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets on Polymarket, ultimately winning around $400,000. The US Department of Justice claims that Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and made 13 bets between then and January 2026, anticipating the outcome of the US military operation in Venezuela. Van Dyke is said to have been involved in the planning and execution of the operation, which aimed to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. According to the indictment, Van Dyke attempted to conceal his identity and actions by withdrawing his winnings, converting them to a cryptocurrency, and moving them into a brokerage account. The case has drawn attention to the use of confidential information for personal gain, with US Attorney Jay Clayton stating that Van Dyke's actions constitute 'clear insider trading' and are illegal under federal law. The incident has also prompted comments from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of betting on sensitive information.