US Arrests Green Beret for Allegedly Betting on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has arrested a master sergeant in the Army, alleging he used classified information to bet on a raid in Venezuela, in which he participated. The master sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, is accused of using his knowledge of the 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 then and January 2026, speculating on the likelihood of US forces landing in Venezuela and removing President Nicolas Maduro. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is also pursuing an insider trading complaint against Van Dyke. The defendant allegedly took steps to conceal his identity and his winnings, including withdrawing funds, converting them to cryptocurrency, and transferring them to a brokerage account. The case has drawn attention to the issue of insider trading and the use of confidential information for personal gain. US President Donald Trump has commented on the issue, expressing his disapproval of the practice of betting on sensitive information.