American soldier arrested for betting $30k on Nicolas Maduro's ousting - just hours before US raid on Venezuela

Dan McDonald
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:03:46 +0000

An American soldier involved in capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been arrested for allegedly pocketing more than $400,000 (£297,052) by betting on the outcome of the mission.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke is said to have placed $33,000 (£24,506) in bets on gambling platform Polymarket in the days leading up to the daring operation.

The wagers returned more than $409,000 and triggered immediate suspicion within prediction market circles.

A months-long investigation followed to determine whether classified intelligence had been exploited.

Mr Van Dyke now faces multiple charges including unlawful exploitation of confidential information for personal benefit, theft of non-public government data, commodities fraud, and wire fraud.

The indictment alleges that upon seeing media coverage of suspicious trading activity connected to the operation, the soldier attempted to destroy evidence.

He reportedly tried to remove his Polymarket account and alter the email address linked to his cryptocurrency exchange, prosecutors claim.

"Rather than safeguard that information as he was obligated to do, Van Dyke decided to use that classified information to place trades on a prediction market platform for his personal profit," the indictment stated.

"Van Dyke subsequently tried to conceal his unlawful use of classified US Government information by attempting to obscure the source of his unlawful proceeds and to disguise his connection to the accounts linked to the illicit trades."

Prior to Mr Trump revealing the dictator's capture, Mr Van Dyke bet on several outcomes, including whether Mr Maduro would be ousted as leader by January 31 and whether US forces would enter Venezuela.

"We're a respected country again like, maybe, like never before," Mr Trump declared after the overnight military action.

"These highly-trained warriors, operating in collaboration with US law enforcement, caught them in a very ready position."

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Though the indictment provides limited detail about Mr Van Dyke's specific role in the raid, prosecutors observed he appeared in photographs aboard the USS Iwo Jima - where Mr Maduro was held.

The soldier was pictured in combat attire carrying a rifle alongside fellow service members.

Polymarket data indicates a trader who established an account in December 2025 staked $33,933 across four predictions concerning the Venezuela operation and Maduro's removal.

The largest wager involved a $32,537 bet on Mr Maduro leaving office, which returned $404,222.

A Polymarket spokesman confirmed the company flagged the questionable trades to federal prosecutors and assisted with the inquiry.

"Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works," the company wrote on social media.

Mr Van Dyke's prosecution marks the first time the DoJ has pursued insider trading charges involving a prediction market.

Polymarket is the world's largest prediction platform, enabling users to place anonymous bets on future events through a series of yes or no questions.