US Authorities Arrest Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Confidential Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has taken a Master Sergeant from the US Army into custody, accusing him of misusing confidential government information for personal gain by betting on the outcome of a military operation in Venezuela. According to the indictment, Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly used his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets on Polymarket, ultimately winning approximately $400,000. The US Attorney, Jay Clayton, stated that Van Dyke's actions constitute 'clear insider trading' and are illegal under federal law. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, created a Polymarket account in late December 2025 and placed 13 bets on contracts related to the potential US invasion of Venezuela. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly withdrew his winnings, converted them to a stablecoin, and transferred the funds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before moving them to a brokerage account. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, with Chairman Mike Selig stating that the defendant's actions endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members at risk. The case has drawn attention from news organizations and prompted a response from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of betting on confidential information.