A decorated U.S. special forces soldier has been arrested after federal prosecutors said he used confidential knowledge of a covert mission targeting Nicolás Maduro to place a lucrative prediction-market wager that returned roughly $400,000.
According to an indictment unsealed Thursday, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke is accused of betting on the removal of Maduro shortly before US forces carried out Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission that resulted in the Venezuelan leader’s capture earlier this year.
Prosecutors allege Van Dyke opened an account on Polymarket in late December and wagered approximately $32,000 that Maduro would be “out” by January. The position was considered unlikely to succeed at the time, making the eventual payout unusually large.
Investigators said Van Dyke placed 13 separate bets between December 27 and January 2, only hours before the overnight operation began. Authorities further allege that after receiving the profits, he transferred the money into a foreign cryptocurrency vault before later moving funds into an online brokerage account.
Van Dyke now faces five criminal charges and is expected to make his initial court appearance in North Carolina. Court records indicate he remains an active-duty soldier assigned to Fort Bragg. No attorney was listed for him at the time of filing.
“Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain,” said Jay Clayton.
The military operation reportedly extracted Maduro from the presidential palace in Caracas before transporting him to New York City, where he faces federal drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has pleaded not guilty.
ABC News first reported Van Dyke’s arrest Thursday.
