U.S. Special Forces Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information to Profit on Polymarket

Federal authorities have arrested and charged a U.S. special forces soldier who allegedly used classified government information to make more than $400,000 in profits on the prediction market platform Polymarket. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday that Gannon Ken Van Dyke is in custody on several charges, including using confidential government information for personal gain. Prosecutors allege Van Dyke was directly involved in the planning and execution of "Operation Absolute Resolve" to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. In the days before the capture, he made several transactions purchasing $33,934 worth of "YES" shares on Maduro and Venezuela-related markets, eventually profiting $409,881. Once media reports surfaced about the bets, prosecutors claim that Van Dyke tried to cover his tracks. On or about January 6, 2026, he asked Polymarket to delete his account, falsely claiming that he had lost access to the associated email address. That same day, he changed the email registered to his cryptocurrency exchange account to an email address not in his name. Polymarket said after the arrest was announced that it had referred the matter to the Department of Justice and cooperated with the investigation. "Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works," the company said. Van Dyke is facing five counts, including three for violating the Commodity Exchange Act and one for wire fraud, which carry maximum sentences of 20 years in prison, and one for an unlawful monetary transaction that carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence.