A United States Army soldier has been charged with making more than $400,000 by betting on the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors say the soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, used classified information ahead of a military operation that led to Maduro’s capture on 3 January.
Van Dyke, 38, is a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan on several charges. These include unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and conducting an unlawful financial transaction.
Authorities say that in the weeks before the operation, Van Dyke placed a series of bets on the prediction market Polymarket. These wagers focused on whether U.S. forces would enter Venezuela and whether Maduro would be removed from power.
Prosecutors allege that between early December and early January, he placed 13 bets linked to the operation.
The case is believed to be the first time U.S. prosecutors have brought insider trading charges linked to a prediction market.
“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,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
Van Dyke is expected to appear before a judge in North Carolina. Details of his legal representation were not immediately available.
The Pentagon declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday (23 April), President Donald Trump said he was not familiar with the case. He compared it to a well-known sports gambling controversy.
"That's like Pete Rose betting on his own team," Trump said. "If he bet against his team, that would be no good, but he bet on his own team. I'll look into it."
Polymarket said it had cooperated with investigators.
"Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works," the company said in a post on X.
The case comes amid wider scrutiny of prediction markets and concerns about the use of inside information in political and global events.
Prosecutors said Van Dyke had been involved in the “planning and execution” of the operation to capture Maduro, though few details were given.
The indictment also refers to a photograph uploaded to Van Dyke’s Google account in the early hours of 3 January. It was taken shortly after Maduro was brought aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
"That photograph depicts Van Dyke on what appears to be the deck of a ship at sea, at sunrise wearing U.S. military fatigues, and carrying a rifle, standing alongside three other individuals wearing U.S. military fatigues," the indictment read.
According to court documents, Van Dyke has served in the U.S. Army since 2008 and was most recently stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also filed civil charges against him. If convicted, Van Dyke could face a prison sentence of up to 60 years.
Iran said on Sunday (10 May) that it had sent its response to a U.S. proposal aimed at launching peace talks to end the war, as signs of tentative ...
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has cited Azerbaijan as an example of what he described as a sovereign foreign policy, recalling rem...
China’s exports grew faster than expected in April, as overseas buyers moved quickly to secure supplies a...
President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to a US war proposal “totally unacceptable” after Tehran sent its reply through med...
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing w...
Iran said on Sunday (10 May) that it had sent its response to a U.S. proposal aimed at launching peace talks to end the war, as signs of tentative movement emerged around the Strait of Hormuz despite renewed security incidents across the Gulf.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has cited Azerbaijan as an example of what he described as a sovereign foreign policy, recalling remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev during talks in Yerevan, where he sharply criticised resolutions adopted against his country by the European Parliament.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation and strained ties with key allies under his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
British paratroopers and military medics have been deployed to Tristan da Cunha after a suspected hantavirus case was confirmed, as first evacuation flights carrying passengers from the stricken MV Hondius cruise ship left Tenerife for Madrid and Paris.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
China’s leading chipmakers are funnelling unprecedented sums into research and development as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid intensifying U.S. export restrictions.
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation and strained ties with key allies under his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermining the self-determination rights of the Kanak Indigenous People in New Caledonia amid proposed political and constitutional reforms.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment