A US Army special forces soldier faces federal charges after winning more than $400,000 betting on a classified military operation he helped execute. Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly used insider knowledge of the mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to profit on prediction markets, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Classified Operation Becomes Betting Opportunity

Van Dyke, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, created a Polymarket account on December 26, 2025, according to the Department of Justice. He placed bets totaling over $33,000 on the timing and outcome of Operation Absolute Resolve, the January 3 raid that seized Maduro and his wife from their Caracas compound. Federal prosecutors allege Van Dyke had access to classified details about the operation from December 8 through January 6, giving him information unavailable to the public.

The special forces soldier won more than $409,000 from his wagers on the crypto-powered prediction platform. Polymarket reported the suspicious trading activity to federal authorities and cooperated with the investigation. The company stated that insider trading has no place on their platform and called the arrest proof their systems work.

Multiple Federal Charges Filed

Van Dyke faces five criminal counts 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. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that military personnel receive classified information to accomplish missions safely, not for financial profit. US Attorney Jay Clayton added that prediction markets cannot serve as havens for exploiting misappropriated classified data.

Broader Implications for Prediction Markets

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a separate complaint against Van Dyke, accusing him of insider trading. President Trump commented on the case during an unrelated event Thursday, expressing displeasure with betting markets generally. He noted the world has become somewhat of a casino with prediction platforms spreading globally. Federal prosecutors stressed that Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements promising never to reveal classified or sensitive information about military operations. The case represents the first major prosecution involving prediction markets and classified military intelligence.