A special forces soldier involved in the operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department. His alleged crime? Making numerous bets on the prediction market Polymarket that Maduro would be removed from power, for which he is said to have made upwards of $400,000.
Authorities claim Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who was involved in the “planning and execution” of Operation Absolute Resolve (the stratagem that toppled and captured the Venezuelan leader), made bets on Polymarket about whether the U.S. would deploy forces into Venezuela and remove Maduro from power.
Van Dyke was arrested on Thursday, CBS reports, citing a law enforcement source.
Federal officials say that Van Dyke’s wagers were informed by classified information he had access to as a result of being a government insider. The government notes that Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements prohibiting him from ever divulging, publishing, or revealing “by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information” related to the military operations he was involved with.
In December, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and began making wagers involving “Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets,” officials say. Between December 27, 2025 and January 26 of this year, he allegedly made 13 bets totaling some $33,034 in total on things like “U.S. Forces in Venezuela . . . by January 31, 2026” and “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026.” Officials say that, after collecting his winnings, Van Dyke also took steps to cover up his ties to the account that made the wagers.
Van Dyke faces a variety of charges, including violating the Commodity Exchange Act, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as pos …