US Army Green Beret Arrested for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a senior Army official for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a member of the elite US Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, is accused of using his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. The DOJ has charged Van Dyke with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the potential US military operation in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The accused allegedly attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. Van Dyke's actions have been condemned by US officials, with the US Attorney stating that the defendant's actions constitute 'clear insider trading' and 'endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members in harm's way.' The case has sparked widespread attention, with US President Donald Trump commenting on the allegations, expressing his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.