A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Nicolas Maduro has been arrested after he allegedly bet on the removal of Venezuela's former leader before the information was publicly available. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Gannon Ken Van Dyke after he allegedly made trades on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, on the basis of classified information. Justice department officials emphasized that this is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier in the US Army stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, won more than $409,000 (£303,702) as a result of his bets. US forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Caracas in a dramatic, nighttime raid on January 3, bringing them to New York to face allegations of weapon and drug offenses, which they deny. Van Dyke allegedly placed bets on the timing and outcome of the operation named Operation Absolute Resolve 'all to turn a profit'. The DOJ alleges that he created a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025, and began trading based on sensitive, nonpublic information related to the operation. Van Dyke has been charged with illegal use of confidential government information for personal gain, among other serious charges. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has also filed a complaint against him, indicating that prediction markets must not be misused for insider trading. The situation raises serious questions about the fairness and security of such markets, especially when tied to sensitive government operations.