A United States special forces member has been charged with using classified intelligence from the January operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to win over $400,000 on the prediction market site Polymarket. Senior enlisted soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly leveraged his access to confidential government information for personal gain.
Van Dyke faces multiple charges from the Justice Department, including unlawful use of confidential government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. Conviction on all counts could result in a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
The soldier was involved in the planning and execution of the Maduro capture operation for about a month, beginning December 28th. Despite signing non-disclosure agreements, prosecutors claim Van Dyke placed bets on Maduro being out of power by January 31st.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a parallel complaint, alleging Van Dyke moved $35,000 from his personal account to a cryptocurrency exchange on December 26th. He reportedly used over $32,500 to make bets on Maduro's removal from power between December 30th and January 2nd, with substantial profits realized just hours before the military action in Caracas.
These well-timed bets resulted in over $404,000 in profits, with additional gains from other Venezuela-related contracts. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig stated the defendant's actions endangered US national security and the lives of American service members.