In the United States, a military serviceman has been arrested for taking part in an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro while simultaneously betting on its outcome, earning more than $400,000. The information was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The individual is 38-year-old Special Forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who was stationed at Fort Bragg. According to prosecutors, between December 2025 and January 2026, he was involved in planning a covert operation in Venezuela. Despite having access to classified information and being prohibited from disclosing it, he allegedly used that knowledge for personal financial gain.
In December, he registered on the prediction market platform Polymarket and placed 13 bets of $33,000 each on a scenario in which the United States would carry out a military operation in Venezuela and Maduro would be removed from power. When that scenario materialized, Van Dyke reportedly made more than $400,000 in profit.
After the operation, he attempted to cover his tracks: he converted most of the funds into cryptocurrency and asked the platform to delete his account, claiming he had lost access. However, unusual betting activity drew attention from both the platform and authorities.
The operation itself took place on the night of January 3. Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were removed from Venezuela by U.S. forces and transported to New York, where they were placed in custody. U.S. authorities accuse the former president of drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession, and his wife of involvement in narcotics trafficking and corruption.
Van Dyke now faces charges including unlawful use of confidential information, theft of non-public government data, fraud, and illegal financial transactions. The Justice Department noted that following the operation, unusual activity was detected on Polymarket linked to bets on Maduro’s fate.
