A US Special Forces soldier has been charged with exploiting classified intelligence from a covert mission that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He allegedly used the sensitive information to pocket more than $400,000 through bets on an online prediction market, federal prosecutors said on Thursday.
According to authorities, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who was directly involved in the planning and execution of the January operation, used his access to non-public details of the mission to place wagers on the platform Polymarket, turning insider knowledge into substantial financial gain.
President Trump Comments on Betting Culture
“Well I think that the whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino,” US President Donald Trump said, adding that such betting is happening “all over the world, and every place they’re doing these betting things.” “Now, I think that I’m not happy with it,” he added.
Charges and Allegations
Van Dyke, 38, faces multiple charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic information, commodities and wire fraud, and conducting an unlawful monetary transaction—offenses that could carry years in prison, as cited by AP.
According to prosecutors, he was involved in planning and executing the Maduro operation for about a month starting December 8, 2025, and had signed agreements not to disclose “any classified or sensitive information” related to the mission. Authorities allege he later created an account on Polymarket and placed around 13 bets, taking the “Yes” position on outcomes such as US forces entering Venezuela and Maduro being removed by January 31, 2026.
FBI Director’s Statement
“This involved a US soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said through a post on social media.
Financial Transactions and Account Deletion
Prosecutors allege that soon after the operation, Van Dyke transferred most of his winnings into a foreign cryptocurrency vault before moving the funds into a new brokerage account. He also reportedly asked Polymarket to delete his account, claiming he had lost access to the email linked to it.
A phone number listed for Van Dyke in public records is no longer in service, and it remains unclear whether he has secured legal representation.
Polymarket’s Cooperation
In a statement, Polymarket said it identified suspicious trading linked to classified government information, alerted the US Department of Justice, and “cooperated with their investigation.”
Justice Department’s Position
“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain. Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply,” the US Justice Department said through a post on X.
Military Background
According to the indictment, Van Dyke joined the Army in 2008 and was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2023, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the service. Federal prosecutors said he was a senior enlisted member of the special forces community, stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, though few additional details about his military record were provided.
The document also states that he was photographed after the raid on the deck of a ship “wearing US military fatigues, and carrying a rifle, standing alongside three other individuals wearing US military fatigues.”
