A U.S. soldier has been accused of illegally betting more than $400,000 using classified information about a planned military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The scheme was uncovered by federal authorities, who report that the soldier now faces up to 60 years in prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice report dated April 23, Gannon Ken Van Dyke participated in planning the operation and placed a bet on the invasion of Venezuela.
The report states that Van Dyke registered on the Polymarket betting platform at the end of December 2025 with an initial wager of more than $33,000. He claimed that by January 2026, the United States would launch a military operation resulting in Nicolas Maduro’s removal from office.
The soldier earned over $400,000 through this transaction. Authorities accuse him of four offenses: illegal use and theft of classified government information, fraud, as well as the commission of illegal monetary transactions.
