Trump DOJ arrests soldier accused of using secret Maduro raid intel to win $400,000 on Polymarket

Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed an indictment accusing Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old active-duty U.S. Army soldier from Fayetteville, North Carolina, of using classified Maduro raid information to win about $409,881 on Polymarket.

Prosecutors say Gannon had access to secret details from Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. mission to capture Nicolás Maduro, then used that information to bet on Venezuela markets before the raid became public.

The indictment charges Gannon with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

He was set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.

DOJ accuses Van Dyke of using classified Maduro raid details to trade Venezuela contracts

The indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, says Gannon was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville and signed nondisclosure agreements linked to his military work. Those agreements barred him from sharing classified or sensitive military information. One clause said he could “never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise” any protected information tied to operations.

Prosecutors say Gannon joined the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve from around December 8, 2025, through at least January 6, 2026. During that period, he allegedly had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified details about the plan to capture Maduro. That access, the government says, later became his private trading edge.

In 2025, Polymarket, operated by Blockratize Inc., offered binary contracts tied to Venezuela and Maduro. The markets covered whether U.S. forces would enter Venezuela by set dates, whether Maduro would be removed from power, whether the U.S. would invade Venezuela by January 31, and whether Trump would invoke War Powers against Venezuela by a certain date.

The indictment says Gannon opened and funded a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025. From December 27, 2025, through the evening of January 26, he allegedly placed about 13 bets.

Every trade took the “YES” side on U.S. forces entering Venezuela, Maduro being out by January 31, 2026, a U.S. invasion by that deadline, or Trump using War Powers.

Prosecutors say Van Dyke moved crypto proceeds after Polymarket paid yes

Prosecutors say Gannon bet about $33,034 while holding classified information about the operation. During the predawn hours of January 3, U.S. forces apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela.

Hours later, the President announced the operation. Polymarket then resolved several contracts to “YES,” including “Maduro out by January 31, 2026” and “US forces in Venezuela by January 31, 2026.”

The DOJ says Gannon won those wagers and made about $409,881 in profit. The same day as the raid, he allegedly withdrew most of the money from Polymarket, sent much of it to a foreign cryptocurrency vault, and later moved funds into a newly created online brokerage account.

After press and social media posts flagged unusual Maduro-market trading, prosecutors say he tried to hide who made the trades.

Around January 6, 2026, Gannon allegedly asked Polymarket to delete his account and falsely said he had lost access to the email tied to it.

That same day, he allegedly changed the email on his crypto exchange account to another address prosecutors say was not subscribed in his name and had been created around December 14, 2025.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said classified information is given to troops for missions, not personal gain. “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply,” he said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said, “Today’s announcement makes clear no one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s secrets.” Kash also said clearance holders who try to cash in their access will be held accountable.

Jay Clayton said “Prediction markets are not a haven” for misused classified information and called the alleged conduct insider trading, while James C. Barnacle Jr. said Gannon allegedly betrayed fellow soldiers and profited more than $400,000.

Gannon faces three Commodity Exchange Act counts, each carrying up to 10 years in prison, plus wire fraud, which carries up to 20 years, and an unlawful monetary transaction charge, which carries up to 10 years. Congress sets those maximums. Any sentence would be decided by a judge.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.