A US Army soldier has been arrested and charged with insider trading after allegedly using classified military intelligence to place nearly $410,000 in bets on the timing of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke was indicted on multiple federal charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on June 10, 2024.
The DOJ alleges that Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, a US military operation aimed at capturing Maduro, and used his access to classified details about the mission to profit personally.
"As alleged in the indictment, Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the US military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, called 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' and Van Dyke used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit."
The soldier’s bets were placed on Polymarket, a prediction market platform where users wager on the outcomes of future events. His alleged profits totaled $410,000, according to the indictment.
The case highlights concerns over the misuse of sensitive government information for financial gain and raises questions about the security of classified military intelligence.
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