A U.S. soldier involved in the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than $400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced Thursday.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor's office in New York said. Van Dyke, 38, was involved in the planning and execution of capturing Maduro for about a month beginning Dec. 8, 2025, according to the federal prosecutor's office.
He signed nondisclosure agreements promising to not divulge any classified or sensitive information related to the operations, the office said. Officials allege that Van Dyke created a Polymarket account toward the end of December and made about 13 bets that took the Yes position on such wagers as U.S. Forces being in Venezuela and Maduro being out by Jan. 31, 2026.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive voices and Democratic lawmakers have used the case to call for stronger oversight of prediction markets and greater accountability for individuals with security clearances. Senator Elizabeth Warren has long advocated for stricter regulations on markets that allow trading on real-world events, arguing they create perverse incentives for those with access to nonpublic information.
Civil liberties advocates have also raised concerns about the broader implications of prediction markets. The Center for American Progress noted that this case highlights the need for robust insider trading laws specifically applied to classified information, arguing that current statutes were not designed with this scenario in mind.
Progressives have also pointed to the need for military justice reform, with some advocacy groups arguing that the Pentagons internal oversight mechanisms failed to prevent this breach. House Democratic leaders have called for hearings on how classified information is protected during military operations.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative lawmakers and national security hawks have praised the prosecution as a necessary warning to anyone with a security clearance. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the alleged conduct a grave betrayal of the public trust, saying those who swore oaths to protect classified information must face full consequences.
FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump appointee, has emphasized the case demonstrates that no one is above the law. Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable, Patel said in a statement. Conservatives have pointed to this as evidence of the administrations commitment to enforcing classification laws.
The Right has also focused on the broader issue of prediction markets themselves, with some Republican lawmakers calling for their outright ban or strict regulation. Former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien suggested that prediction markets on geopolitical events create unacceptable risks to national security.
What the Numbers Show
Van Dyke joined the Army in 2008 and was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2023, making him the second-highest enlisted rank in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and was part of the special forces community.
The federal prosecutor's office alleges he made approximately 13 bets on Polymarket, taking the Yes position on wagers including whether U.S. Forces would be in Venezuela and whether Maduro would be out by Jan. 31, 2026. The total winnings exceeded $400,000.
Following the operation, Van Dyke allegedly placed most of his winnings in a foreign cryptocurrency vault and then transferred them to a new brokerage account. He also requested that Polymarket delete his account, claiming he had lost access to his associated email address.
He faces charges including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. If convicted on all counts, he could face years in prison.
The Bottom Line
This case represents one of the first criminal prosecutions involving classified information and prediction markets, setting a legal precedent that could shape how such markets are regulated in the future. Both parties have called for greater scrutiny of prediction markets, though they differ on whether the solution is stricter enforcement of existing laws or wholesale prohibition.
The Pentagon has referred questions on the case to the Army and Department of Justice, while US Special Operations Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
Legal experts say the prosecution faces the challenge of applying existing statutes, which were largely written before prediction markets existed, to this novel scenario. The outcome could influence future legislation on how classified information interacts with financial markets.