In a case that has raised serious questions about national security and insider trading on prediction markets, U.S. Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old Special Forces soldier stationed at Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty) in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested and charged by federal authorities on April 23, 2026.
Van Dyke, who joined the Army in 2008 and was promoted to master sergeant in 2023, allegedly used classified details from his direct involvement in Operation Absolute Resolve—the daring January 3, 2026, U.S. military raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas—to place profitable bets on the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform Polymarket.
The @DOJ arrested a service member who placed a bet on @Polymarket before Maduro raid meanwhile some in congress are insider trading yet facing no charges.
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— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) April 24, 2026
According to the Department of Justice indictment, Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the operation, which involved elite units like Delta Force and more than 150 aircraft in a high-risk mission to apprehend Maduro. Just days before the raid, in late December 2025 and early January 2026, he allegedly wagered approximately $33,034 on Polymarket contracts predicting that Maduro would be removed from power by January 31, 2026, and that U.S. forces would enter Venezuela by the same date.
When President Donald Trump announced the success of the operation hours after the predawn raid, the markets resolved in Van Dyke’s favor. He reportedly netted more than $409,000 in profits.
Prosecutors charge that Van Dyke violated nondisclosure agreements and misused sensitive government information for personal gain. He faces multiple felony counts, including unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful monetary transactions.
The Justice Department described the alleged scheme as a clear breach of trust. “That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law,” officials stated. Polymarket reportedly cooperated with investigators.
The case has sparked widespread discussion about the risks of prediction markets and the safeguards needed to protect classified military operations. Van Dyke is scheduled to appear in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, with the case assigned to the Southern District of New York.
As details continue to emerge, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved when service members with access to the nation’s most sensitive secrets cross ethical and legal lines.
SOURCES:
U.S. soldier charged with betting on Maduro raid on Polymarket
US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400,000 on Maduro raid | CNN Politics
DOJ arrests soldier who made $400,000 betting on Maduro’s removal – ABC News
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