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

The US Department of Justice has arrested a senior Army officer for allegedly using classified information about a military operation in Venezuela to place bets and win a substantial amount of money. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a member of the US Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, has been charged with unlawfully using confidential 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 on Venezuela to place $33,000 in bets on Polymarket, a prediction market platform, and won approximately $400,000 after the operation. The US Attorney's office stated that Van Dyke's actions constituted insider trading and were illegal under federal law. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The case has raised concerns about the use of confidential information for personal gain and the potential risks to national security. Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and actions by deleting his Polymarket account and changing his email address. The incident has sparked a wider debate about the use of prediction markets and the potential for insider trading. US President Donald Trump has expressed his disapproval of the practice, stating that the world has become 'a casino' and that he does not conceptually like the idea of betting on events.