US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged $400,000 Bet on Venezuela Raid

A US Army master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft, and fraud. The allegations stem from his involvement in a military operation to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, during which he allegedly placed $33,000 in bets on the outcome, winning approximately $400,000. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, allegedly created a Polymarket account and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the US military operation in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, who is accused of endangering US national security and putting American service members' lives at risk. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly withdrew his winnings, converted them to a cryptocurrency, and attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. The case has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of betting using confidential information, likening the world to a 'casino'.