{"id":3454,"date":"2026-04-24T16:11:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T16:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=3454"},"modified":"2026-04-24T16:11:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T16:11:53","slug":"us-soldier-accused-of-using-classified-intel-to-profit-from-bets-on-maduro-operation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=3454","title":{"rendered":"US soldier accused of using classified intel to profit from bets on Maduro operation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON: <\/strong>A US soldier is facing criminal charges for allegedly using classified information to place bets on an online prediction market tied to a US military operation targeting Nicolas Maduro, the Department of Justice said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is accused of making more than $400,000 by using insider knowledge to wager on outcomes related to the operation in Caracas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to officials, Van Dyke was directly involved in planning and executing the January 3 operation in Venezuela\u2019s capital, during which US forces arrested Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported them to New York to face drug trafficking charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors allege that he used the online platform Polymarket to place a series of bets predicting that US forces would enter Venezuela and that Maduro would be removed from power.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Dyke reportedly wagered over $30,000 across multiple bets in late December and early January, just days before the operation took place, ultimately earning profits exceeding $400,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials stressed that he had access to highly sensitive, nonpublic military intelligence and was strictly prohibited from using such information for personal financial gain.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said that members of the armed forces are entrusted with classified information to carry out their missions and must not exploit it for profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The betting platform Polymarket said it had identified suspicious activity linked to the account and reported it to authorities, cooperating fully with the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInsider trading has no place on the platform,\u201d the company said, adding that the arrest demonstrates that its monitoring systems are effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Dyke has been charged with one count of wire fraud, one count of engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction, and three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of up to 50 years in prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The indictment is the latest example of insider information allegedly being used to profit from prediction markets tied to geopolitical events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, several accounts reportedly earned around $1.2 million by betting that the United States would attack Iran on February 28, the day the Middle East conflict escalated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No arrests have been made in that case, and there is currently no evidence linking those transactions to US President Donald Trump or White House officials.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump criticized the growing popularity of such betting platforms, saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino\u2026 in Europe and every place, they\u2019re doing these betting things. I was never much in favour of it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case has also renewed scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest within the administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic lawmakers and critics have accused Trump and his family of profiting from their positions since the start of his second term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Bernie Sanders claimed that the Trump family has made billions from the presidency, calling it \u201cunprecedented kleptocracy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March, Trump\u2019s comments on \u201cvery productive\u201d talks with Iran reportedly triggered market movements, allowing traders who acted in advance to earn significant profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Trump family have also reportedly generated substantial earnings from cryptocurrency ventures, a sector the administration has sought to deregulate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON: A US soldier is facing criminal charges for allegedly using classified information to place bets on an online prediction market tied to a US military operation targeting Nicolas Maduro,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[100,2050,2051,2049],"class_list":["post-3454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-donald-trump","tag-nicholas-maduro","tag-us-army","tag-venezuela"],"yoast_head":"\nUS soldier accused of using classified intel to profit from bets on Maduro operation - World Watch Alert<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"US soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke charged for allegedly using classified intel to earn $400,000 through bets on Polymarket linked to a US operation against Nicolas Maduro.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=3454\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US soldier accused of using classified intel to profit from bets on Maduro operation - 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