- Gannon Van Dyke is a US Army Special Forces soldier.
- He allegedly used classified intel to make over $400,000.
- Bets were placed on a prediction market platform.
- He faces multiple charges, including fraud and misuse of data.
- He could face several years in prison if convicted.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, is a US Army Special Forces soldier who was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He was involved in the planning and execution of a US military operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. As part of his role, he had access to classified and sensitive information related to the mission and had signed nondisclosure agreements promising not to share or misuse that information.
Federal prosecutors say Van Dyke used this classified information to place bets on an online prediction market platform. These bets were related to whether Maduro would be removed from power by a specific date. According to authorities, he placed the bets before the operation took place, using knowledge that was not available to the public.
Investigators say he transferred about $35,000 from his personal bank account into a cryptocurrency exchange account in late December 2025. He then placed multiple bets between December 30 and January 2, with most of them made just hours before the military operation began. The bets focused on outcomes tied to the mission, including Maduro being out of power by the end of January 2026.
The bets were successful, and prosecutors say Van Dyke made more than $400,000 in profit. His activity drew attention after the operation, as the timing and size of the winnings raised concerns.
Van Dyke has been charged with unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making unlawful financial transactions. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also filed a separate complaint against him.
Officials said the case raises serious concerns about the misuse of classified information and the potential risk to national security. Authorities also noted that his actions could have put the lives of US service members at risk.
The prediction market platform involved said it identified suspicious trading activity, reported it to the Justice Department, and cooperated with investigators.
Van Dyke is scheduled to appear in court, and court records do not yet list an attorney for him. If convicted, he could face several years in prison.
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