US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret for Allegedly Placing Bets on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army officer, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using classified information to place wagers on a military operation in Venezuela. The operation aimed to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Van Dyke is accused of using his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets, which yielded approximately $400,000 in winnings. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in late December 2025 and placed 13 bets through early January 2026 on contracts related to the potential US military action in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, citing a breach of trust and endangerment of national security. The accused is an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, commonly known as the 'green berets,' and was involved in the planning and execution of the operation. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and transferred his winnings to a foreign cryptocurrency 'vault' and a brokerage account. The case has drawn attention to the issue of insider trading and the use of confidential government information for personal gain. US President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about the practice, stating that the world has become 'a casino' and that he does not favor such betting activities.