(AsiaGameHub) – A US Army special operations soldier who took part in ousting Nicolás Maduro has been charged with leveraging classified intelligence to bet on the mission’s outcome via Polymarket, according to federal officials on Thursday, April 23.
Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke is alleged to have transformed approximately $33,000 in bets into roughly $409,000 in profit by wagering on “Operation Absolute Resolve” before President Donald Trump publicly announced Maduro’s capture on January 3, 2026.
The Soldier Used Classified Intel for Personal Gain
The US Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs stated, “As alleged in the indictment, Van Dyke used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: “Our men and women in uniform are entrusted with classified information to carry out their missions as safely and effectively as possible, and they are forbidden from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial benefit.”
US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York stressed that “prediction markets are not a sanctuary for exploiting misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain.”
He Tried to Delete His Account
The indictment states that Van Dyke also sought to conceal his role. Prosecutors allege he tried to delete his Polymarket account and alter the email associated with his cryptocurrency transactions after unusual wagering activity attracted notice.
He faces charges including theft of government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful use of confidential intelligence.
Prosecutors further noted that Van Dyke was later photographed on the USS Iwo Jima after the operation with others who participated in the mission.
This case is now viewed as a significant test for regulatory oversight of prediction markets. Major platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi are facing increased scrutiny amid worries that insiders with access to nonpublic data could misuse them for profit.
In an unrelated incident, another user is said to have made about $550,000 by accurately betting that President Trump would declare a ceasefire in the US-Iran conflict.
Polymarket reported it identified the suspicious trading linked to the Maduro case and assisted federal investigators. According to legal experts, the proceedings may clarify how current statutes, especially the Commodity Exchange Act, govern prediction markets centered on real-world events.
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