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

The United States Department of Justice has taken a US Army Master Sergeant into custody, accusing him of misusing classified government information for personal financial gain. The sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, allegedly used his knowledge of an impending military operation in Venezuela to place bets totaling $33,000, which yielded approximately $400,000 in winnings. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created an account on a betting platform called Polymarket and placed multiple bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, regarding the potential outcomes of the US military operation in Venezuela, including the removal of Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, stating that his actions compromised US national security and put the lives of American service members at risk. 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. After the raid, he allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and withdraw his winnings. The case has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.