Topline
A U.S. special forces soldier who participated in the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was arrested on Thursday and charged with using classified information about the operation to win more than $400,000 on the online betting platform Polymarket.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents.
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Key Facts
In a press release, the Justice Department said U.S. Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke was charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain and theft of nonpublic government information.
Van Dyke also faces charges of “commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.”
The DOJ alleges Van Dyke created an account on the crypto betting platform Polymarket on December 26, 2025, and made around 13 bets on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets.
The soldier allegedly bet a total of around $33,034 on “YES” outcomes in questions about U.S. military action or invasion targeting Venezuela before January 31, 2026.
As a result of these bets, Van Dyke allegedly profited approximately $409,881 after U.S. Special Forces conducted a raid on Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife from the Venezuelan leader’s residence.
The soldier then allegedly sent his winnings to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a “newly created online brokerage account.”
Crucial Quote
FBI Director Kash Patel commented on the arrest on X, saying: “This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation.” In a follow-up post highlighting the federal agency’s work on Thursday, Patel identified Van Dyke as an “Active-duty Green Beret.”
How Has Polymarket Reacted To The Soldier’s Arrest?
In a statement issued on X, Polymarket wrote: “Last month, we published our enhanced market integrity rules to combat insider trading. When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation.”
