US charges soldier in Maduro operation scandal over $400K betting profit

The United States has charged a military serviceman involved in the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The soldier, a member of special forces, is accused of using classified information to earn more than $400,000 on an online betting platform.

According to the New York prosecutor’s office, Gannon Ken Van Dyke took part in the January 2026 operation and used access to sensitive mission data to profit on the prediction market platform Polymarket.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged him with незаконное использование конфиденциальной государственной информации (illegal use of confidential government information), theft of restricted government data, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and conducting unlawful financial transactions. He faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Kash Patel stated that the case involves a U.S. serviceman who allegedly exploited his position to profit from a legitimate military operation.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on January 3 that the United States had carried out a successful operation in Venezuela. He said that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and removed from the country.

Two days later, on January 5, Maduro and his wife appeared before a New York court to face charges. He pleaded not guilty and stated that he remains the president of his country. The U.S. court approved consular access for Venezuelan officials.

A second hearing in the case took place on March 26, 2026, at a federal court in New York under Judge Alvin Hellerstein.