The United States Department of Justice has accused a Special Forces soldier of having used classified information about an operation against Venezuela to place bets on prediction markets, obtaining profits exceeding 400,000 dollars.
The person involved, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, allegedly took advantage of his access to sensitive data about the operation that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to bet on the Polymarket platform on the outcome of the operation.
According to the investigation, the military officer participated in the planning of the mission and used that privileged information to place multiple bets before its execution, obtaining direct economic benefits.
Betting with confidential information
The case focuses on a series of 13 bets made in a few days, linked to scenarios about Maduro's departure from power and US military intervention in Venezuela.
The authorities maintain that the soldier acted with prior knowledge of the operation, which allowed him to anticipate the outcome of events and turn that information into personal profit.
Accusations of fraud and misuse of information
Van Dyke has been accused of several crimes, including wire fraud, unlawful insider trading, and illegal monetary transactions, with possible prison sentences of up to 20 years for each charge.
The case has been described by the Department of Justice as an example of “illegal use of classified information for personal enrichment”.
Polymarket under scrutiny
The betting platform Polymarket, where the operations were carried out, has assured that it will collaborate with the authorities after detecting suspicious movements.
The case reopens the debate on the use of insider information in prediction markets, a growing sector that has already been the subject of controversy over operations related to international conflicts and global politics.
US authorities are also studying the possibility of extending the investigation internationally, while the accused faces charges that could lead to a long sentence if found guilty.