U.S. Special Forces Soldier Indicted for $400,000 "Insider Trading" Gamble on Secret Maduro Capture Operation

US Special Forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke indicted for using classified intel to win a $400,000 Polymarket bet on the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 24, 2026, 4:34 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from N12

A High-Stakes Breach of Military Trust

The United States Department of Justice has unsealed a landmark indictment against Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a senior member of the special forces community, for what officials are calling "insider trading in every sense of the word." Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is accused of exploiting his access to highly sensitive military intelligence for personal financial gain. According to federal prosecutors, while Van Dyke was actively involved in planning the high-stakes mission to apprehend Nicolás Maduro, he was simultaneously placing anonymous bets on the timing and success of that very operation.

Strategic Wagers on a Prediction Marketplace

The scheme allegedly began in late December 2025, just days before the covert mission took place. Prosecutors claim Van Dyke opened an account on Polymarket, a decentralized cryptocurrency prediction platform, where users can bet on the outcomes of world events. Using non-public information about "Operation Absolute Resolve," Van Dyke reportedly placed approximately 13 specific wagers. These bets were placed on outcomes most global observers still considered remote, including the entry of U.S. forces into Venezuela and the removal of Maduro from power by January 31, 2026.

The Logistics of Operation Absolute Resolve

The underlying event that triggered the massive payout occurred in the predawn hours of January 3, 2026, when U.S. special forces raided a compound in Caracas, Venezuela. The raid resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were subsequently transported to the United States to face narco-terrorism and weapons charges. Hours after the operation was publicly announced by the President of the United States, the value of the "YES" contracts on Polymarket surged. Van Dyke, who had placed his final wager just hours before the raid began, saw his initial $33,000 investment balloon into a profit of $409,881.