US Army Green Beret Arrested for Allegedly Using Confidential Information to Place Bets on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a high-ranking Army officer on charges of misusing confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, and fraud. The allegations stem from the officer's involvement in a military operation to detain former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to the indictment, the master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, used his knowledge of the impending raid to place bets on the outcome, winning approximately $400,000. Van Dyke allegedly created a Polymarket account and placed 13 bets between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026, on contracts related to the US military's actions in Venezuela. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The defendant's actions have been condemned by US Attorney Jay Clayton, who stated that Van Dyke's alleged actions constitute 'clear insider trading' and are illegal under federal law. The case has also drawn comments from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the practice of using confidential information for betting purposes.