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 hundreds of thousands of dollars in an online betting market, federal officials said 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 and won over $400,000. Van Dyke allegedly created an account on Polymarket toward the end of December and made about 13 bets that took the “yes” position on wagers for U.S. Forces being in Venezuela and Maduro being out by Jan. 31, 2026. Van Dyke’s charges include: -Unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain -Theft of nonpublic government information -Commodities fraud -Wire fraud -Making an unlawful monetary transaction Van Dyke 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. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall to discuss.
US soldier charged with betting on Maduro mission on Polymarket
