Authorities arrest a Special Forces soldier who allegedly made $400,000 from a Pollymarket bet involving the Maduro operation.

The US Department of Justice has indicted a Special Forces soldier who participated in the operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. His alleged crime? Making several bets on the Polymarket prediction market that Maduro would be removed from power, he reportedly received over $400,000 for it.

Authorities allege that Gannon’s Ken Van Dyke, who was involved in the “planning and execution” of Operation Absolute Dissolution (the ruse that ousted the Venezuelan leader and his family), bet PollyMarket on whether the United States would deploy troops to Venezuela and remove Maduro from power.

Van Dyke was arrested on Thursday, CBS reported, citing a law enforcement source.

Federal officials say Van Dyke’s bets were based on classified information he had access to as a result of being a government insider. The government notes that Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements prohibiting him from disclosing, publishing, or disclosing “by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise…any confidential or sensitive information” related to military operations in which he participated.

In December, Van Dyke created an account on Polymarket and began betting on “markets associated with Maduro and Venezuela,” officials say. Between December 27, 2025 and January 26 of this year, he allegedly made 13 bets totaling about $33,034 on things like “US troops in Venezuela… by January 31, 2026” and “Maduro exit by… January 31, 2026.” After collecting his winnings, Van Dyke also took steps to cover up his ties to the account that made the bets, officials say.

Van Dyke faces a variety of charges, including violating the Commodity Exchange Act, wire fraud, and conducting an illegal cash transaction.

“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and they are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information are fully applicable.”

Prediction markets have courted controversy since their launch. But over the past year, the sites have grown in importance and influence, striking deals with media and sports organizations while also seeing widespread use, including by government officials. Legislation is currently being considered that would prevent government officials from using non-public information to bet on prediction sites.