A US special forces soldier has been arrested and charged with using classified information for financial gain. He is suspected of making substantial profits on the betting platform "Polymarket" by wagering on a secret military operation. According to US authorities and international media, 38-year-old soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke is alleged to have earned around $410,000 by predicting the outcome of a covert operation related to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Investigations show that shortly before the operation began, he opened an account on "Polymarket" and placed several bets totaling approximately $32,000, using insider information about military movements. US authorities say his bets were linked to scenarios such as US forces entering Venezuela and the execution of operations that led to Maduro's capture.
After the operation concluded and the event was confirmed, his profits surged to around $410,000, which are then suspected to have been transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet abroad. The US federal prosecutor's office has charged the soldier with misuse of classified information, fraud, and illegal financial transactions. If convicted, he could face up to 60 years in prison.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have publicly reacted for the first time since their capture by US forces. The couple, who have been held for nearly three months in a federal prison in Brooklyn, stated that they are well, unwavering, and calm. "We are well, unwavering, calm, and in constant prayer," read a post shared on Maduro's X account.