A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier has been charged for allegedly using classified information to profit from betting on a military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, aged 38, reportedly placed bets amounting to around $33,000, leveraging sensitive details of the mission prior to its public announcement.
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The indictment, recently unsealed in a Manhattan federal court, outlines that Van Dyke engaged in betting on the prediction market, Polymarket, concerning the timeline of Maduro’s removal from position. Prosecutors assert that he was involved in both the planning and execution of the covert operation known as Operation Absolute Resolve, which culminated in Maduro’s capture in January 2026.
Van Dyke is said to have placed about 13 bets between late December 2025 and January 2, 2026. These wagers were tied specifically to outcomes regarding Maduro’s political status, including questions about whether he would be “out of power” by the end of January. Following the successful apprehension of Maduro and his wife in Caracas on January 3, several market outcomes favoured Van Dyke, resulting in a profit exceeding $409,000.
“This case underscores that prediction markets are not a safe haven for exploiting classified information for personal gain,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton remarked during the announcement of the charges. He emphasised that Van Dyke allegedly breached the trust bestowed upon military personnel by using clandestine information for financial advantage.
As an active-duty member stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Van Dyke had previously signed nondisclosure agreements, explicitly prohibiting him from disclosing or misusing classified military particulars. The gravity of the charges against him reflects not just a breach of trust but also the potential implications for national security.
Following his cash-out of the winnings, authorities allege that Van Dyke attempted to obscure his activities. Reports indicate he moved the funds through various cryptocurrency accounts, transferred money into a brokerage account, and allegedly requested Polymarket to delete his betting account, claiming he had lost access to his email.
In a related commentary, former President Donald Trump likened the situation to the case of Pete Rose, suggesting that the ethical dilemmas surrounding bets can often be complex. Trump noted that while betting on one’s own team might be acceptable, the act could become questionable if it pertained to betting against the team, hinting at the murky waters of Van Dyke’s actions.
The charges filed against Van Dyke include unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and conducting a monetary transaction involving illegal profits. If found guilty, the charges could bring him a maximum sentence of 20 years for wire fraud alone, alongside a possible 10-year term for each of the additional charges.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighted that military personnel are entrusted with highly sensitive information and are strictly prohibited from exploiting such data for their financial benefit. This case serves as a cautionary tale regarding the integrity of servicemen and women who handle confidential material.
Van Dyke made his first appearance in federal court in North Carolina and is expected to be transferred to New York for further proceedings. It remains uncertain if he has secured legal representation at this stage of the proceedings, as the case continues to unfold in the judicial system.