A US soldier has been accused of insider trading after winning $400,000 by betting on Maduro’s ousting
The US Department of Justice has charged soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who is suspected of using classified information to make a profit on betting platforms, the BBC reports.
According to the investigation, Van Dyke, who serves in a US Army special forces unit and was involved in an operation to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, placed bets on the Polymarket platform before information about the operation became public.
According to the prosecution, he bet over $33,000 on the outcomes and timing of the operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, and as a result made a profit of over $409,000.
According to the case file, Van Dyke created an account on the platform in late December 2025 and began trading contracts related to Venezuela and Maduro. He placed his final bet on 2 January, shortly before the operation took place.
On 3 January, the US military carried out a night-time raid in Caracas, during which they detained Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were taken to New York, where they were charged with offences relating to weapons and drugs, which they deny.
Prosecutors believe that the military officer used access to classified information regarding the planning and execution of the operation for personal gain.
He is charged with the unlawful use of confidential government information, fraud, misappropriation of non-public data and illegal financial transactions. A claim has also been filed in the case by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The Department of Justice stated that the use of classified information for personal gain is a violation of federal law. “Our military personnel have access to classified information to
carry out their duties and cannot use it for personal enrichment,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The Polymarket platform reported that it had independently detected suspicious activity, passed the information on to law enforcement and cooperated with the investigation. “Insider trading has no place on Polymarket.
Today’s arrest confirms that the system works,” the company stated.
US President Donald Trump stated that he was not aware of this situation but promised to look into it. He also expressed concern about the proliferation of platforms for betting on events.
“The whole world, unfortunately, has become a bit of a casino. I’ve never been particularly in favour of that,” he said.
