US Arrests Green Beret Over Alleged Insider Trading on Venezuela Raid

The US 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. The operation, which aimed to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, resulted in Van Dyke winning approximately $400,000 from bets totaling $33,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke used his knowledge of the impending raid to place 13 bets on contracts related to the operation through a Polymarket account. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke, who is an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces. The case highlights concerns over the use of confidential information for personal gain and the potential risks to national security. Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his involvement by deleting his Polymarket account and changing his email address. The incident has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes.