US Army Green Beret Arrested for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a US Army Master Sergeant for allegedly using confidential government information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. The sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, is accused of using his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets on the outcome, including whether US forces would successfully detain Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, who is an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces. The case has sparked concerns about the use of classified information for personal gain and the potential risks to national security. Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his involvement in the betting by withdrawing his winnings, converting them to cryptocurrency, and transferring them to a brokerage account. The incident has also drawn comment from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.