US soldier pleads not guilty to charges of using classified information to bet on Maduro capture operation
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old active duty Special Forces soldier, appeared in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to misusing classified information about a January 3, 2026 military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Prosecutors allege Van Dyke placed bets on Polymarket using advance knowledge of the operation, profiting over $400,000 before transferring the funds through cryptocurrency. This marks the first federal prosecution involving insider trading on a prediction market.
- CNNfirst
- Reuters+36 min
- Politico+2.3 h
- The Hill+8.6 h
- PBS NewsHour+9.9 h
- NY Post+10.6 h
- Washington Examiner+10.7 h
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
“Soldier accused of betting on Maduro raid, winning $400,000, pleads not guilty”CNN CNN LEFT
“Special Forces soldier who allegedly scored $400K using secret Maduro raid info looks the part in NYC court”NYP NY Post RIGHT
“US soldier pleads not guilty to using intel on Maduro raid to win $400,000 on Polymarket” · The Hill, Reuters, Politico, PBS NewsHour, AP News