Soldier in Special Forces Charged with Gambling on Maduro Raid Enters Not Guilty Plea

U.S. Army Sergeant Major Pleads Not Guilty to Gambling Charges

A U.S. Army special forces member involved in the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday regarding allegations that he earned over $400,000 from a bet connected to the operation.

Sergeant Major Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, allegedly made his plea in a federal court in New York. Reportedly, he wagered more than $33,000 on Polymarket, anticipating that Maduro would be arrested before the public learned about a Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment. The charges against him include unauthorized use of confidential government information for personal profit, merchandise fraud, theft of nonpublic government information, unlawful financial transactions, and wire fraud. The U.S. military captured President Maduro on January 3 during Operation Absolute Resolve, effectively ousting him from Venezuela in the early hours.

According to CBS News, Van Dyke was taken into custody in early April. A federal judge later released him on a $250,000 personal recognizance bond, imposing travel restrictions limited to New York, North Carolina, and California. His military service dates back to 2008, and he attained the rank of special forces sergeant major in 2023 while stationed at Fort Bragg.

The indictment claims that Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, granting him access to sensitive classified information about military actions. Additionally, he signed a non-disclosure agreement promising not to share any classified information related to military operations, as emphasized by the Justice Department.

The indictment also states that Polymarket had begun offering event contracts about whether President Maduro would be captured by the U.S. by 2025. Van Dyke reportedly created his Polymarket account on December 26, 2025, placing about 13 bets regarding Maduro’s removal by January 31 during the time leading up to and including the raid.

Van Dyke is accused of transferring most of his illicit earnings to a foreign virtual currency vault, setting up a new online brokerage account for deposits, and withdrawing significant funds from his Polymarket account on the day of the operation. He allegedly attempted to mask his identity concerning contracts linked to Maduro by requesting Polymarket to delete his account after claiming he lost access to the associated email.

The Justice Department revealed that his actions were triggered by media coverage of unusual transactions tied to Maduro-related contracts available on Polymarket. Polymarket flagged Van Dyke’s conduct and notified the government, as stated by the company’s CEO.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to the indictment, emphasizing the trust placed in military personnel with sensitive information. He stated, “Our nation’s men and women in uniform are trusted with sensitive information to carry out their missions… and they are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain.”