US Special Forces Soldier Pleads Not Guilty to Insider Trading Charges in Maduro Capture Betting Case

US Army Master Sergeant Gannon Van Dyke, 38, a special forces soldier involved in the January 3, 2026 operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, pleaded not guilty before US District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan to charges of commodities fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful use of non-public government information. Van Dyke allegedly placed $32,000–$33,300 in bets on the prediction market Polymarket between December 27, 2025 and January 2, 2026 — days before the raid — wagering that Maduro would be removed and US forces would enter Venezuela. His bets yielded over $400,000 in profit. He was released on a $250,000 bond, ordered to surrender his passport and firearms, with a return court date of June 8, 2026. The case shed additional legal scrutiny on the Maduro capture operation and raised questions about operational security within special forces units.