A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Nicolas Maduro has been arrested after he allegedly bet on the removal of Venezuela's former leader before the information was publicly available. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Gannon Ken Van Dyke after he allegedly made trades on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, based on classified information. That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law, said justice department officials.
Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier in the US Army stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, won more than $409,000 (£303,702) as a result of his bets. US forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Caracas in a dramatic, night-time raid on 3 January, bringing them to New York to face allegations of weapon and drug offenses, which they deny.
The DOJ alleges that Van Dyke placed bets on the timing and outcome of the operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, all to turn a profit. Allegedly, he created a Polymarket account on or about 26 December 2025 and began trading on Maduro and Venezuela-related markets while in possession of classified nonpublic information about the operation.
In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Polymarket said: When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation. The company added: Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works.
Van Dyke has been charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that prosecution is necessary to uphold trust in the military regarding classified information. The justice department officials noted that Van Dyke's actions were a violation of his nondisclosure agreements, which prohibit revealing sensitive information related to military operations. Federal prosecutors claim his actions constituted a breach of both federal law and ethical standards within military service.
Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier in the US Army stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, won more than $409,000 (£303,702) as a result of his bets. US forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Caracas in a dramatic, night-time raid on 3 January, bringing them to New York to face allegations of weapon and drug offenses, which they deny.
The DOJ alleges that Van Dyke placed bets on the timing and outcome of the operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, all to turn a profit. Allegedly, he created a Polymarket account on or about 26 December 2025 and began trading on Maduro and Venezuela-related markets while in possession of classified nonpublic information about the operation.
In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Polymarket said: When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation. The company added: Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works.
Van Dyke has been charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that prosecution is necessary to uphold trust in the military regarding classified information. The justice department officials noted that Van Dyke's actions were a violation of his nondisclosure agreements, which prohibit revealing sensitive information related to military operations. Federal prosecutors claim his actions constituted a breach of both federal law and ethical standards within military service.
