Share to ClassroomSoldier Bet on Secret Military Raid
A United States Army soldier has been charged with using secret information to win more than $400,000 by betting on a military operation. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, was part of the team that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026. Before the operation, he placed bets on Polymarket, a prediction market — a website where people bet on what will happen in the real world. Van Dyke bet $32,000 that Maduro would lose power.
Van Dyke used fake names on the website, including "Burdensome-Mix." After the operation succeeded, his bets paid about $409,881. He then moved the money through an online account. This is the first time the United States government has charged someone for using secret information to make money on a prediction market.
When news reports noticed the large payments, Van Dyke tried to hide. He asked the website to delete his account three days after the raid. He said he lost his email, but prosecutors say this was not true. Van Dyke now faces five charges and could go to prison for up to 20 years.
