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A United States Army soldier has been charged after prosecutors alleged he used classified military intelligence to place profitable bets linked to a covert mission that led to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
According to the US Department of Justice, 38-year-old Gannon Ken Van Dyke, based in North Carolina, allegedly earned more than $400,000 through wagers tied to whether US forces would enter Venezuela and whether Maduro would be removed from power before the January deadline. Authorities said the bets were placed shortly before the operation was carried out.
Prosecutors claimed Van Dyke had direct access to sensitive information because he was involved in planning and executing the military mission known as “Operation Absolute Resolve.” The operation resulted in Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being arrested in Caracas on January 3 and transferred to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said military personnel are trusted with classified information to complete missions safely and effectively, and are forbidden from using such intelligence for personal financial gain.
Van Dyke now faces multiple charges, including wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, theft of nonpublic government information, and violations of commodities laws. If convicted on all counts, he could face decades in prison.
The case has intensified scrutiny around prediction markets, where users speculate on the outcomes of political, military, and economic events. Regulators are increasingly examining whether insiders may be exploiting confidential information for profit.
It also adds to broader criticism surrounding potential conflicts of interest in markets connected to political developments during President Donald Trump’s second administration.
While no evidence has linked Trump or White House officials to this case, previous suspicious trading activity tied to geopolitical events has drawn public attention.
