A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier has been arrested for allegedly using classified information to place bets on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, netting more than $400,000 in winnings.
Charges Filed
Gannon Ken Van Dyke faces three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He is also charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions.
Alleged Betting Scheme
According to prosecutors, Van Dyke used classified information related to Operation Absolute Resolve to place over $33,000 in bets on the prediction market Polymarket. He made at least 13 “yes” bets on U.S. involvement in Venezuela before President Donald Trump publicly announced Maduro's capture. After winning, he transferred his proceeds to a cryptocurrency vault and later deposited them into a brokerage account.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the alleged misuse of sensitive national security information for personal financial gain, emphasizing that clearance holders must be held accountable.
The case highlights the growing intersection of prediction markets and national security, as well as the legal risks of trading on non-public information.
