US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged $400,000 Bet 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 about a military operation in Venezuela to place bets worth $33,000, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, also known as the 'green berets', was involved in the planning and execution of the operation to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and made 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the US military's actions in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. 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 his disapproval of such betting practices, stating that the world has become 'a casino' and that he does not conceptually favor such activities.