By Rahim Abdul
A United States special forces soldier who took part in the high profile military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro has been arrested after allegedly using classified information to place lucrative bets before the mission became public.
The soldier, identified as Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, is accused by federal prosecutors of exploiting inside knowledge from the covert operation to predict Maduro’s removal and profit from it on a prediction market platform.
According to investigators, Van Dyke placed thousands of dollars in bets shortly before the January 2026 operation, correctly forecasting that Maduro would be captured within weeks earning more than $400,000 (about K700 million).
Authorities say the soldier had direct involvement in planning and executing the mission reportedly known as “Operation Absolute Resolve”giving him access to highly sensitive intelligence that was not available to the public.
The dramatic operation saw US forces capture Maduro in Caracas on January 3, 2026, before transferring him to the United States to face serious criminal charges.
Prosecutors allege that Van Dyke used a cryptocurrency account and a prediction platform to place multiple trades, later attempting to conceal his activities by deleting accounts and disguising transactions.
He is now facing several charges including wire fraud, commodities fraud and theft of government information offences that could lead to decades in prison if convicted.
In a rare development, US authorities have described the case as one of the first major insider trading prosecutions involving prediction markets, raising concerns about the misuse of confidential government intelligence for personal gain.
Van Dyke has since been released on bond, but strict conditions have been imposed, including surrendering his passport and limiting access to weapons unless authorised by military command.
The case has sparked debate in the United States over ethical conduct within the military and the growing influence of online betting platforms linked to political and military events.
Meanwhile, the capture of Maduro itself continues to draw mixed reactions globally, with some countries supporting the US action while others have condemned it as a violation of international law.
As the legal process unfolds, the scandal is expected to intensify scrutiny on how classified intelligence is handled and whether tighter regulations are needed to prevent similar abuses in the future.
