US special forces soldier who won $409K on Maduro bet is arrested

Politics U.S. special forces soldier who won $409K charged for betting on Maduro's removal before raid was reported By Nicole Sganga, Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent Nicole Sganga is CBS News' homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms. Read Full Bio Nicole Sganga, Jacob Rosen Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump's 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Read Full Bio Jacob Rosen Updated on: April 23, 2026 / 6:06 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was arrested on Thursday after allegedly betting on Maduro's removal from office before news of the raid was made public, a law enforcement source told CBS News.Federal investigators believe the soldier made bets of more than $33,000 on the prediction market Polymarket within hours of President Trump's announcement in January that Maduro had been captured, the source said. The bets hit and resulted in winnings of more than $409,000.A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, Mr. Trump announced in a Truth Social post that the Venezuelan president and his wife had been "captured and flown out of the Country."Shortly before Mr. Trump's post, a Polymarket account holder placed a $32,537 bet on the likelihood that Maduro would be "out by January 31, 2026."  Three additional bets were made via the same Polymarket account: a $1,000 wager on the U.S. invading Venezuela by Jan. 31; a $250 wager that Mr. Trump would invoke the War Powers Act against Venezuela by Jan. 31; and a $146 wager that U.S. forces would land in Venezuel...