A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier has been charged with using classified information about a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He allegedly made over $400,000 on a prediction market, according to federal prosecutors.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested after prosecutors accused him of placing bets based on the timing and outcome of the operation while he had access to sensitive government information.
The Justice Department stated that Van Dyke served as an active-duty soldier at Fort Bragg and assisted in planning and executing “Operation Absolute Resolve.”
The indictment charges Van Dyke with unlawfully using confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information To Profit From Prediction Market Bets
Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly made more than $400,000 trading on polymarket on the basis of classified information regarding the timing of a U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás… pic.twitter.com/528YaGQr8N
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) April 23, 2026
Prosecutors noted that Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements preventing him from disclosing classified or sensitive information about military operations. They claimed he later used this access to trade on event contracts related to Venezuela and Maduro.
The Justice Department reported that Van Dyke opened a Polymarket account on December 26, 2025, and placed around 13 bets from December 27 through January 26. Prosecutors mentioned he wagered roughly $33,034 on outcomes such as U.S. forces entering Venezuela, Maduro being ousted, a U.S. invasion of Venezuela, and Trump invoking war powers.
U.S. forces arrested Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas before dawn on January 3, prosecutors said. After President Donald Trump announced the operation, several contracts related to it resolved in Van Dyke’s favor. Prosecutors stated he made about $409,881 in profit.
Reporter: There was a special forces soldier involved in the capture of Maduro who was arrested on suspicion of insider trading. Are you concerned that federal employees are betting on these reduction markets and potentially getting rich?
Trump: Well, I don’t know about it. Was… pic.twitter.com/zmPNGuVL1s
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 23, 2026
“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information to carry out their missions as safely and effectively as possible,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commented, emphasizing that service members cannot use such information for personal financial benefit.
FBI Director Kash Patel remarked that the case demonstrates that those with security clearances who attempt to profit from their access will face consequences.
Prosecutors indicated that Van Dyke moved most of his proceeds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault and then into a newly created online brokerage account. They also said he tried to hide his identity after unusual trading reports in Maduro-related contracts surfaced online.
Reuters reported Friday that Van Dyke attempted to open an account on Kalshi, another prediction-market platform, but was blocked, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Van Dyke is facing three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He also faces one count of wire fraud, which could lead to up to 20 years, and one count of unlawful monetary transaction, which may result in another 10 years. Any sentence will be determined by a judge.
The case has attracted attention because it connects classified military planning, cryptocurrency transfers, and prediction markets linked to geopolitical events. Prosecutors described the alleged actions as insider trading.
Van Dyke was set to appear before a federal magistrate judge in North Carolina. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.
