Army Soldier Charged in High-Stakes Maduro Betting Scandal

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that an Army soldier is facing charges for allegedly profiting from insider knowledge about the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Identified as Gannon Ken Van Dyke, the soldier reportedly made $400,000 by betting on Maduro's removal.

Van Dyke is accused of misusing confidential government information for personal gain. The charges against him include theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. The Justice Department alleges he utilized sensitive, classified details to place wagers on the prediction market, Polymarket.

"Our military personnel are entrusted with classified information to perform their duties safely and effectively. Exploiting this information for personal financial gain is strictly prohibited," said Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche in a public statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)