Green Beret Faces Federal Charges for Allegedly Profiting From Classified Venezuela Raid Intel on Polymarket

Key Points U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke faces federal charges for allegedly exploiting classified intelligence to profit from prediction market trades The servicemember wagered approximately $33,000 on Polymarket contracts related to Venezuela’s regime change, netting around $400,000 Federal prosecutors from the DOJ and regulators from the CFTC have brought multiple charges, including commodities fraud and wire fraud Authorities allege Van Dyke attempted to conceal evidence by requesting account deletion and transferring cryptocurrency to offshore storage The prediction market platform reported the irregular trading patterns to federal authorities before the arrest Federal authorities have apprehended U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke on allegations of exploiting classified intelligence to execute profitable trades on a cryptocurrency-based prediction market. Van Dyke served as a member of the elite special operations team that carried out “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the January 2026 military intervention that resulted in the apprehension of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro in the nation’s capital. According to Department of Justice filings, Van Dyke established an account with Polymarket on December 26, 2025. Between December 27 and January 2, 2026—just hours before the classified mission commenced—he executed 13 separate wagers. These trades focused on outcome-based contracts including “Maduro out by January 31” and “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by January 31.” Federal investigators say he invested approximately $33,000 and collected winnings totaling $409,881. Following the successful military operation, Van Dyke allegedly converted his profits to a bridged USDC stablecoin and transferred the funds to what federal prosecutors characterized as an “offshore cryptocurrency storage facility.” He subsequently moved the proceeds into a freshly established online investment account. According to the indictment, the...