US soldier charged with using classified information to bet on Maduro’s capture

WorldPolitics
24 Apr 2026 • 3:12 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

US soldier charged with using classified information to bet on Maduro’s capture

  • U.S. Army Special Forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke was arrested for allegedly making over a dozen Polymarket bets on the capture of Nicolás Maduro, winning more than $400,000.
  • Van Dyke faces charges including three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He also faces one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions.
  • He is accused of using classified information related to Operation Absolute Resolve to place over $33,000 in bets on the prediction market before President Donald Trump announced Maduro's capture.
  • Officials, including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, condemned the alleged misuse of sensitive national security information for personal financial gain, emphasizing accountability for clearance holders.
  • Prosecutors allege Van Dyke funded a Polymarket account, made at least 13 “yes” bets on U.S. involvement in Venezuela, and transferred his proceeds to a cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a brokerage account.

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