US Arrests Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a US Army Master Sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. The sergeant, who is part of the US Army Special Forces, also known as the 'green berets', is accused of using his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets on the outcome, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the US invasion of Venezuela and the removal of Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, alleging that he endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members at risk by using confidential information for personal gain. The case has drawn attention from high-ranking officials, including US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.