US Arrests Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army official for allegedly using confidential government information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a member of the US Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, allegedly used his knowledge of the impending raid to place $33,000 in bets, resulting in winnings of approximately $400,000. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, charges Van Dyke with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the potential US military operation in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The agency alleges that Van Dyke's actions endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members at risk. After the raid, Van Dyke allegedly withdrew his winnings, converted them to a cryptocurrency, and transferred the funds to a brokerage account. The investigation into Van Dyke's activities was prompted by reports of unusual betting activity on Polymarket. Van Dyke's case has sparked comments from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for personal gain.