NEW YORK : A U.S. special forces soldier was arrested Thursday for allegedly using classified information to place bets on a covert January raid that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, federal authorities said.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a member of the U.S. military’s special forces, bet approximately $33,034 on the prediction market Polymarket that Maduro would be “out” by January, according to an unsealed indictment. After the successful U.S. operation, which captured Maduro and his wife from their Caracas compound and extradited them to New York, Van Dyke’s payout totaled more than $409,000.
Authorities said Van Dyke had insider knowledge because he “participated in the planning and execution” of the raid.
He faces charges including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
“The charges arise from an alleged scheme in which Van Dyke used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket,” said the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Investigators said the unusually large trade immediately drew law enforcement attention. Following the arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel stated, “No one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s secrets.
