<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A special forces soldier involved in the operation to capture </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/who-is-nicolas-maduro-from-bus-driver-to-venezuela-president-captured-by-us/5f70af86-f6ad-43f2-8254-6af8ba64fafb" rel="" target="" title="Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro"><span>Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro</span></a><span> has been charged after he allegedly made a bet on the operation ahead of time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly placed $46,000 worth of wagers on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attacks-iran-gamblers-make-millions-predicting-donald-trump-strikes-before-they-happened-polymarket/1a902af3-8629-4562-a805-101e61c3d860" rel="" target="" title="Polymarket"><span>Polymarket</span></a><span> betting that Maduro would be out of office by January 31.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When Maduro was captured by US troops on a raid on January 3, Van Dyke allegedly made $573,000.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/kalshi-political-bet-fines-politicians-bet-on-themselves-mark-moran-fboy-island/1c57fbb6-b9c9-44c7-94fb-3505ee0fec9b" rel="" target="" title="Politicians fined for placing bets on themselves"><strong><span>Politicians fined for placing bets on themselves</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the details of his involvement in the operation are not known, he was pictured holding a rifle on the warship where Maduro was taken after his capture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 38-year-old has been charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, one count of wire fraud and a count of an unlawful monetary transaction.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Combined, the counts could result in 60 years behind bars.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/nicolas-maduro-venezuela-polymarket-bet-soldier-arrested-usa-news/9a0a6c79-8893-4988-a7ff-a37b508648dc" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Van Dyke will appear in court today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/john-phelan-secretary-of-the-navy-donald-trump-pentagon-pete-hegseth-fired-usa-news/3c3b8f29-b129-4ba7-9d27-b967bcb111a7" target="" title="Trump's Secretary of the Navy abruptly leaving the Pentagon"><strong><span>Trump's Secretary of the Navy abruptly leaving the Pentagon</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly betrayed his fellow soldiers by utilising classified information for his own financial gain," FBI assistant director in charge James C Barnacle Jr said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of his role as a US Army soldier."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After his successful bets, Van Dyke allegedly transferred the winnings to a foreign cryptocurrency vault, then a brokerage account.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He then allegedly asked Polymarket to delete his account, claiming he had lost access to his email address.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a statement, Polymarket said they had referred the suspicious behaviour to the Department of Justice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-election-redistricting-gerrymandering-plan-backfires-virginia-congressional-race-referendum-results/efd3d84b-11a5-4cd7-b2f9-55d802facccd" target="" title="Trump's bid to secure power for his party just backfired big time"><strong><span>Trump's bid to secure power for his party just backfired big time</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ and cooperated with their investigation," the statement said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today's arrest is proof the system works."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-suspicious-futures-trades-treason-paul-krugman-corruption-chris-murphy/9bd90b2b-b13e-4cea-a0d3-250bc43ad3d5" rel="" target="" title="Apparent insider trading on prediction markets"><span>Apparent insider trading on prediction markets</span></a><span> has been rife in recent months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Polymarket, 150 accounts bet more than a million dollars that the US would strike Iran the next day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As predicted, the war with Iran began the next day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, betting app Kalshi has refused to pay out $77 million in winnings to punters who bet </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-strike-on-iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei/14563354-250d-40b4-8330-645799b4e899"><span>Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</span></a><span> would be out of office by March 1.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-look-at-who-holds-the-reins-of-power-since-top-leaders-killed/d6f20e94-8a21-4e53-9a57-876cd188306f"><span>Khamenei was killed by a US and Israeli bombing strike</span></a><span> hours before the deadline was reached.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But those bets pale in comparison to the profits made on the stock and commodities markets in recent months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-iran-updates-oil-futures-trade-suspicious-betting-activity-usa-world-news/1061ef6b-5fef-401c-b469-98016ccdb9c3"><span>series of trades worth $800 million</span></a><span> was made minutes before a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attacks-iran-after-donald-trumps-48hour-deadline-iran-threatens-to-start-hitting-gulf-power-plants-and-mine-waters/d86936cf-ab6f-40ae-be34-efc1f0a60a98"><span>Truth Social post</span></a><span> from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> sent markets swinging.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/truth-social-donald-trump-devin-nunes-massive-losses-bitcoin-investment-usa-news/57ce532d-4fda-4354-b3db-9673a1ead2bc" rel="" target="" title="CEO of Trump's Truth Social media company ousted after losing billions"><strong><span>CEO of Trump's Truth Social media company ousted after losing billions</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>