US Army Green Beret Arrested for Illegally Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army officer, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using sensitive information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. The operation, which aimed to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, resulted in Van Dyke winning approximately $400,000 from $33,000 in bets. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and placed multiple bets on contracts related to the raid, including the likelihood of US forces landing in Venezuela and removing Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, citing the endangerment of US national security and the lives of American service members. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and withdrew his winnings after the raid. The incident has sparked comments from US President Donald Trump, who expressed disapproval of the use of confidential information for personal gain in prediction markets.