Soldier Charged With Using Classified Intel On Maduro Raid To Win $400,000 On Polymarket

BreakingBusinessSoldier Charged With Using Classified Intel On Maduro Raid To Win $400,000 On PolymarketBySiladitya Ray,Forbes Staff. Siladitya Ray is a New Delhi-based Forbes news team reporter.Follow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 01:56am EDTApr 24, 2026, 02:08am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplineA U.S. special forces soldier who participated in the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was arrested on Thursday and charged with using classified information about the operation to win more than $400,000 on the online betting platform Polymarket.Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents.GC ImagesKey FactsIn a press release, the Justice Department said U.S. Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke was charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain and theft of nonpublic government information.Van Dyke also faces charges of “commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.”The DOJ alleges Van Dyke created an account on the crypto betting platform Polymarket on December 26, 2025, and made around 13 bets on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets.The soldier allegedly bet a total of around $33,034 on “YES” outcomes in questions about U.S. military action or invasion targeting Venezuela before January 31, 2026.As a result of these bets, Van Dyke allegedly profited approximately $409,881 after U.S. Special Forces conducted a raid on Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife from the Venezuelan leader’s residence.The soldier then allegedly sent his winnings to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a “newly created online brokerage account.” if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function()...