US Arrests Green Beret Over $400,000 Bets on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a senior Army official for allegedly using confidential government information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been charged with unlawfully using government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the indictment, Van Dyke used his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets on the outcome, which proved successful. US Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Van Dyke's actions constituted 'clear insider trading' and were in violation of federal law. The accused allegedly created a Polymarket account in late December 2025 and placed 13 bets on contracts related to the potential US invasion of Venezuela and the removal of Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, with Chairman Mike Selig noting that the defendant's actions 'endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members in harm's way.' Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, was involved in the planning and execution of the operation to detain Maduro. Following the raid, he 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 indictment alleges that Van Dyke attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. Polymarket has stated that it identified the suspicious activity and referred the matter to the DOJ, cooperating with their investigation. US President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about the use of confidential information for betting purposes, stating that the world has become 'somewhat of a casino' and that he does not conceptually favor such activities.