A 38-year-old U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who participated in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro faces federal charges for using classified details from the operation to place winning bets on Polymarket. Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly turned $33,000 in wagers into $409,000 in profit. Prosecutors described the actions as insider trading.
Van Dyke, stationed at Fort Bragg, took part in Operation Absolute Resolve, the covert mission that led to Maduro's capture. He placed bets totaling about $33,000 in late December and early January on outcomes such as U.S. forces entering Venezuela and Maduro being removed from power by the end of January. Hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the operation's success, the markets resolved in his favor, yielding a 1,200% return that drew immediate suspicion, prosecutors said. Van Dyke had signed nondisclosure agreements barring the use of sensitive information. After cashing out, he transferred funds to foreign cryptocurrency accounts and attempted to delete his trading account amid scrutiny, according to the charges. He now faces counts of commodities fraud, wire fraud, unlawful use of confidential government information, and financial transaction violations, which could result in decades in prison if he is convicted on all. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced the charges, stating, “Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain.” Clayton added, “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government… all to turn a profit. That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law.” FBI Director Kash Patel commented on X, “This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation,” noting the investigation continues. The case marks the first major U.S. prosecution for insider trading on a prediction market like Polymarket, where users wager on real-world events.
