U.S. Charges Soldier for Using Classified Maduro Raid Info to Profit $400,000 on Polymarket

A U.S. special forces soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, has been charged with using classified information from a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to profit over $400,000 on the prediction market platform Polymarket. Federal prosecutors in New York announced the charges on Thursday, accusing the 38-year-old Army soldier 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. According to the Justice Department complaint, Van Dyke faces potential years in prison for actions that allegedly endangered national security and fellow service members.

Van Dyke, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, was involved in the planning and execution of the January raid on Caracas beginning December 8, 2025. Despite signing nondisclosure agreements barring him from sharing classified details, he transferred $35,000 from his personal bank account to a cryptocurrency exchange on December 26, just over a week before U.S. forces launched the operation. He then placed around 13 bets totaling more than $32,500 on Polymarket between December 30 and January 2, with most occurring hours before missiles struck the Venezuelan capital. The bets focused on Maduro being removed from power by January 31, 2026, yielding profits exceeding $404,000 as the raid succeeded in capturing the president.

Interestingly, Van Dyke had been blocked from rival prediction platform Kalshi, as reported by Business Insider, but managed to access Polymarket using cryptocurrency. This detail underscores how platforms like Polymarket, which allow trading on events from elections to military outcomes, can attract insider information despite safeguards. Polymarket itself detected suspicious trading linked to classified data, alerted the Justice Department, and cooperated fully with the investigation, according to statements from the company and FBI Director Kash Patel.

The case has drawn sharp condemnation from officials. "This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation," Patel posted on social media. Michael Selig, chairman of a related commission, emphasized that Van Dyke's actions put American lives at risk by potentially compromising the mission's secrecy. Van Dyke was released on a $250,000 bond and ordered to report to a New York federal courthouse by Tuesday, with the case set to continue in court.

This incident highlights vulnerabilities in online prediction markets, which have surged in popularity for betting on real-world events, and raises questions about oversight for military personnel handling sensitive intelligence. It affects not only Van Dyke and his unit but also public trust in the armed forces and the integrity of these crypto-based platforms. What happens next will depend on the federal case's progression, potentially setting precedents for insider trading in non-traditional markets amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in Venezuela.