US Soldier Gannon Van Dyke Charged Over $409,000 Winnings on Maduro Removal Bets
A US Army special forces soldier has been charged by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after allegedly placing bets on the capture of Venezuela's former leader, Nicolas Maduro, using classified military intelligence. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, reportedly won more than USD#409,000 via trades on Polymarket, a cryptocurrency-enabled prediction platform.
Justice department officials stated this constitutes "clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law." Van Dyke is accused of creating a Polymarket account around 26 December 2025 and subsequently making bets exceeding USD#33,000 while in possession of non-public information regarding Operation Absolute Resolve.
Operation Absolute Resolve culminated in US forces seizing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their Caracas compound on 3 January, transporting them to New York to face allegations of weapon and drug offences, which they deny. The DOJ alleges Van Dyke leveraged his access to planning and execution details of the operation, from 8 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, "all to turn a profit."
Polymarket confirmed it had referred the user to the DOJ and cooperated with the investigation, stating: "Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works."
Van Dyke faces an indictment unsealed on Thursday, including charges of unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasised that military personnel are entrusted with classified information to ensure mission safety and effectiveness, prohibiting its use for personal financial gain. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has also filed a complaint against Van Dyke for alleged insider trading.
