According to the indictment released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), local prosecutors have arrested an active-duty Army Chief Master Sergeant. The individual is accused of using insider info obtained through his position to place bets on the market prior to participating in the military operation to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Using national secrets to 'gamble' on military operations
The indictment shows that the defendant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, is charged with illegally using government confidential information for personal gain, stealing non-public government info, and fraud among other charges. Prosecutors allege that Van Dyke leveraged his knowledge of the U.S. plans for a raid on Venezuela to bet $33,000, and after the operation was successful, he netted around $400,000 (approximately 13 million TWD).
"U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton lambasted in a statement:"
"The defendant is suspected of using classified information related to military-sensitive operations to bet on the timing and outcome of those actions, severely betraying the trust the U.S. government placed in him. This is a clear case of insider trading, which is illegal under federal law."
"‘Green Beret’ bettors on Polymarket"
"Van Dyke is an active-duty member of the U.S. Army Special Forces (commonly known as 'Green Berets'), stationed at Fort Bragg. According to the indictment, he directly participated in the planning and execution of the operation to capture Maduro. Investigations found that Van Dyke created a Polymarket account on December 26, 2025, and placed 13 bets before January 2, 2026, involving:"
"• Will the U.S. military land in Venezuela?"
"• Will Maduro be removed from office?"
"• Will the U.S. invade Venezuela?"
"Money laundering attempts and reports involving Polymarket"
"After the raid, Van Dyke withdrew his winnings and converted them into cross-chain USDC, which was then transferred to an offshore custodial platform, before being gradually deposited into his brokerage account."
"Due to the massive profits from these bets attracting media attention, Van Dyke allegedly requested Polymarket to delete his account and change his email address to attempt to conceal his identity. Polymarket subsequently confirmed on X that when they discovered a user suspected of trading on government confidential information, they proactively referred the case to the Department of Justice and fully cooperated with the investigation."
"Trump responds: The world has turned into a casino"
"In addition to criminal charges, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has also filed a civil lawsuit for insider trading in federal court. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig pointed out that the defendant's actions not only betrayed his duties but also jeopardized national security, putting the lives of U.S. military personnel at risk."
"In response, President Trump stated during an interview that he will investigate allegations of federal personnel using confidential information to place bets on market predictions. Trump told the media:"
"Unfortunately, the entire world has, to some extent, turned into a huge casino. Just look at how everywhere, in Europe and around the globe, people are getting into these betting activities. I've never really supported this; I fundamentally dislike the idea."
"Source"