US Arrests Army Green Beret Over Alleged $400,000 Betting Scheme on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has taken action against a high-ranking Army official, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using sensitive information to place wagers on a military operation in Venezuela. The operation, which aimed to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, is said to have been the subject of Van Dyke's bets, which reportedly yielded a substantial profit of approximately $400,000. The Justice Department has unsealed an indictment charging Van Dyke with unlawfully utilizing confidential government information for personal gain, as well as theft and fraud. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created an account on the betting platform Polymarket and placed multiple bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on the likelihood of US forces landing in Venezuela and removing Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing a complaint against Van Dyke, alleging insider trading. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, is accused of compromising national security and putting the lives of fellow service members at risk by using classified information for personal financial gain. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his actions by withdrawing his winnings, converting them to a different cryptocurrency, and transferring the funds to a brokerage account. The incident has drawn attention to the potential risks of using confidential information for personal gain, with US President Donald Trump expressing concerns about the widespread practice of betting on sensitive events.