US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged Insider Trading on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has taken action against a high-ranking Army officer, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly exploiting classified information for personal financial benefit. Van Dyke, a member of the elite US Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, is accused of using his knowledge of a forthcoming military operation in Venezuela to place bets worth $33,000, yielding approximately $400,000 in winnings. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, charges Van Dyke with unlawfully utilizing confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the allegations, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in late December 2025 and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the potential US military intervention in Venezuela, including the removal of Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is pursuing a separate insider trading complaint in federal court. Van Dyke's actions have been condemned by US Attorney Jay Clayton, who stated that the defendant's alleged actions constitute 'clear insider trading' and are illegal under federal law. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman, Mike Selig, also criticized Van Dyke's actions, stating that they endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members at risk. After the raid, Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his identity by withdrawing his winnings, converting them to a cryptocurrency, and transferring the funds to a brokerage account. The case has drawn attention to the potential risks of using confidential information for personal gain, with US President Donald Trump expressing his disapproval of the practice, stating that 'the whole world has become somewhat of a casino.'