A U.S. special forces soldier who took part in a mission to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been accused of exploiting classified intelligence to earn over $400,000 through online betting, federal authorities revealed Thursday.
According to prosecutors in New York, Gannon Ken Van Dyke used sensitive information from the January operation to place wagers on the prediction platform Polymarket. Authorities allege he leveraged insider knowledge about the mission’s outcome to profit from bets tied to Maduro’s removal from power.
The Justice Department has charged Van Dyke with multiple offenses, including misuse of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic data, commodities and wire fraud, and conducting unlawful financial transactions. If convicted, he faces a lengthy prison sentence.
Investigators say the 38-year-old soldier was involved in planning and executing the mission for about a month starting December 8, 2025. Despite signing non-disclosure agreements prohibiting the release of classified details, he allegedly used that information to place bets predicting Maduro would be out of power by January 31, 2026.
FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the alleged actions, stating that the soldier abused his position to profit from a sensitive military operation.
Polymarket confirmed it detected suspicious trading linked to nonpublic government information, alerted the Justice Department, and cooperated with investigators. The company emphasized that insider trading is not tolerated on its platform.
In a separate but related case, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a civil complaint against Van Dyke. It claims he transferred $35,000 into a cryptocurrency exchange account in late December, shortly before U.S. forces launched the operation in Caracas. He reportedly used over $32,500 to place a series of bets between December 30 and January 2, just hours before the military action began.
Following the operation, former President Donald Trump shared an image on social media showing Maduro in custody.
Court documents indicate Van Dyke’s bets on Maduro’s removal generated more than $404,000 in profit, while additional wagers on related events earned him another $5,000.
Regulators warn that his actions may have compromised national security and endangered American personnel. The scale and timing of the profits also sparked public concern, leading to renewed bipartisan calls for tighter regulation of prediction markets.
Authorities allege that after the mission, Van Dyke moved most of his earnings into offshore cryptocurrency accounts and later attempted to close his Polymarket account, claiming he had lost access to his email.
When asked about the case, Trump compared the situation to that of the late baseball player Pete Rose, who was banned for betting on games involving his own team, suggesting the world has increasingly become “like a casino.”
The case also highlights growing ties between the Trump administration and the prediction market industry, which is currently facing legal battles in several states. Trump’s eldest son serves as an adviser to Polymarket and a competing platform, Kalshi, and is also an investor. Meanwhile, Trump’s social platform, Truth Social, is preparing to launch its own crypto-based prediction market.
Van Dyke, who joined the Army in 2008 and rose to master sergeant in 2023, was part of the special forces and stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Officials have released limited details about his service, citing the sensitive nature of special operations roles.
The case comes amid increasing scrutiny over betting on geopolitical events. Lawmakers from both parties are considering new legislation to ban wagers on conflicts, assassinations, and other high-risk global events.
Earlier this month, reports also revealed suspicious betting activity related to a potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire, further intensifying calls for stricter oversight. Additionally, the platform Kalshi recently penalized several congressional candidates for betting on their own election outcomes.
