Soldier Faces Criminal Charges for Using Confidential Information in Betting Platform Scheme

A U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant has been charged with using classified information to place bets on a military operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, resulting in over $400,000 in illegal profits, according to federal prosecutors.

Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, faces multiple federal charges including commodities fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful use of confidential government information. Prosecutors allege he accessed nonpublic details about “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a covert mission that led to Maduro’s capture in early January 2026, and used that information to place wagers on the prediction market platform Polymarket.

According to the indictment unsealed in April 2026, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account in late December 2025 and placed approximately 13 bets between December 27, 2025, and January 2, 2026. The wagers centered on whether U.S. Forces would enter Venezuela, whether Maduro would be removed from power, and whether President Donald Trump would invoke war powers by the end of January 2026.

Investigators say Van Dyke wagered roughly $33,000 and ultimately netted approximately $409,881 after Maduro was taken into custody. The profits were allegedly routed through a foreign cryptocurrency vault before being deposited into an online brokerage account.

The case highlights growing concerns about the intersection of national security, financial markets, and emerging prediction platforms. Polymarket, which allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events using cryptocurrency, has drawn scrutiny for its potential misuse by individuals with access to nonpublic information.