US special forces soldier accused of insider betting on operation against Maduro

A US Army special forces service member has been charged with using classified information to place bets related to a potential US operation involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to Reuters, citing the US Department of Justice.

The suspect, Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, allegedly took part in operational planning and used confidential intelligence ahead of events on January 3 to make bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket, anticipating possible US military intervention and a leadership change in Venezuela.

Investigators claim he placed around 13 bets connected to developments in Venezuela and earned profits exceeding $400,000.

A federal grand jury in Manhattan has indicted him on charges including fraud, misuse of classified information, and financial crimes. The Justice Department said this is the first known case involving alleged insider trading on prediction markets based on sensitive government intelligence.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the case, referring inquiries to the Justice Department.

US President Donald Trump compared the incident to a well-known sports betting scandal, but did not provide further details.

By Vugar Khalilov