U.S. soldier pleads not guilty to charges of gambling on capture of Maduro

A U.S. Army soldier, Gannon Van Dyke, pleaded not guilty to federal charges including fraud and misuse of confidential information related to a $400,000 bet on the prediction market Polymarket that former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be removed from power. Prosecutors allege Van Dyke used insider knowledge about a planned U.S. military raid that led to Maduro's capture in January 2026. He was arrested following an investigation triggered by Polymarket's reporting of suspicious activity, marking the Justice Department's first insider trading case involving a prediction market. Van Dyke, a Special Forces master sergeant, was released on $250,000 bond with travel restrictions and is scheduled for a court appearance in June.