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U.S. soldier charged with using classified intel to win $400K Polymarket bet on Maduro raid

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Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than $400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced on Thursday (April 23, 2026).

Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Mr. Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor’s office in New York said.

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