After obtaining the profits, the money was sent to a wallet abroad.
The soldier made 13 bets in total, all related to the US operation in Caracas.
The United States Department of Justice arrested this Thursday Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an Army sergeant stationed in North Carolina, accused of using classified information to bet on the future of the former president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, on the Polymarket platform. With an investment of just over $33,000, he managed to make nearly $410,000 in profits.
Van Dyke, 38, participated in the planning and execution of the military operation that culminated in the capture of Maduro in Caracas in the early hours of January 3, 2026. As part of his duties, had signed confidentiality agreements that prohibited him from disclosing any sensitive data related to military operations, according to reported ABC News.
Despite this, since December 27 and while he had access to confidential information, made 13 bets linked to the mission. Among them, whether the United States would deploy forces in Venezuela, whether Maduro would be overthrown before January 31 and whether President Donald Trump would invoke war powers against Caracas. After knowing the outcome, He moved the profits to an offshore wallet and opened a brokerage account with those funds.
To hide your tracks, requested Polymarket to delete his profile alleging loss of access to his email. In addition, he changed the address associated with his digital wallet with another created weeks before in the name of a third party. According to authorities, the platform collaborated with the investigation.
The soldier faces charges for three violations of the Merchandise Exchange Law, electronic fraud and an illegal monetary transaction. If convicted, he could face several decades in prison.although the final sentence will depend on the judge.
Asked about the arrest, Trump signaled that he will review the case and criticized the rise of online gambling. “The whole world, unfortunately, has become something similar to a casino. I was never a big fan of this, I don’t like it conceptually,” he said, as reported. ABC News.
Polymarket is a platform that allows you to bet on the results of real events, such as elections, conflicts, political decisions or sporting events. Unlike its main competitor in the United States, Kalshi, its international version allows you to operate anonymously, without identity verification.