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

The United States Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army officer, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, for allegedly using classified information to place wagers on a military operation in Venezuela. 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 on Polymarket, ultimately winning around $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in December 2025 and made 13 bets between December 2025 and January 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 US President has commented on the allegations, stating that he would investigate claims of federal reporters using confidential information to place bets on prediction markets. The President expressed his disapproval of the concept of betting on such events, likening the world to a 'casino'.