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

The US Department of Justice has arrested a master sergeant from the US Army Special Forces for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a military operation in Venezuela. Gannon Ken Van Dyke is accused of using his knowledge of the forthcoming raid to place $33,000 in bets, which resulted in winnings of approximately $400,000. 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 action in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The defendant allegedly attempted to conceal his identity by asking Polymarket to delete his account and changing his email address. The case has drawn attention from high-ranking officials, including US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of betting using confidential information.