US Authorities Arrest Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has indicted a master sergeant in the Army's Special Forces for allegedly using classified information to place wagers on a raid in Venezuela, which led to the detention of former President Nicolas Maduro. The sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, is accused of using his knowledge of the upcoming operation to place $33,000 in bets on Polymarket, a prediction market platform, and winning approximately $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and placed 13 bets 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, alleging that he endangered national security and put American lives at risk by using confidential information for personal gain. Van Dyke, who is an active-duty soldier based at Fort Bragg, allegedly attempted to conceal his identity and withdrew his winnings after the raid. The case has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed concerns about the use of confidential information for betting purposes.