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

The US Department of Justice has taken action against a master sergeant in the US Army, alleging that he used confidential government information to place wagers on a military operation in Venezuela. The operation, aimed at detaining former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, resulted in the master sergeant winning approximately $400,000 from bets totaling $33,000. According to the indictment, the master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, created an account on the betting platform Polymarket and made multiple bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, regarding the potential outcomes of the US military operation in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint in federal court. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and the source of his winnings by withdrawing the funds, converting them to a cryptocurrency, and transferring them to a brokerage account. The incident has drawn attention to the potential risks of insider trading and the use of confidential information for personal gain. US President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about the prevalence of betting and prediction markets, stating that the world has become 'somewhat of a casino.'