U.S. Army Master Sergeant Charged With Using Classified Information on Maduro Capture to Win Over $400,000 on Polymarket

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sergeant was charged Thursday with using classified, nonpublic information about the military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to place profitable bets on the prediction market Polymarket.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, allegedly profited more than $400,000 by wagering on the timing and outcome of the January 2026 operation, according to a federal indictment unsealed April 23, 2026, in the Southern District of New York.

Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, the classified mission that resulted in Maduro’s capture on January 3, 2026. From approximately December 8, 2025, through at least January 6, 2026, he had access to sensitive, nonpublic classified details about the operation. He had signed nondisclosure agreements promising never to divulge any classified or sensitive information relating to military operations.

Starting around December 26, 2025, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and placed approximately 13 bets between December 27, 2025, and January 26, 2026. All bets took the “YES” position on markets such as “U.S. Forces in Venezuela by January 31, 2026,” “Maduro out by January 31, 2026,” “Will the U.S. invade Venezuela by January 31,” and “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by January 31.” He wagered a total of approximately $33,034 while in possession of the classified information.

The Department of Justice stated that Van Dyke “used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket, a prediction marketplace,” and “used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit.”

He faces five federal charges: unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said: “Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of his role as a U.S. Army soldier.”

Van Dyke was presented Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.

The indictment marks the first known U.S. criminal case involving alleged insider trading on Polymarket using classified military information. Van Dyke remains in custody pending further proceedings.