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

Key Points:

• U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he used classified information from a military operation to bet over $400,000 on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's removal from office via the prediction market Polymarket.
• Van Dyke is charged with unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction related to bets placed shortly after President Trump's announcement of Maduro's capture.
• Prosecutors allege Van Dyke violated nondisclosure agreements by betting on Maduro's ousting before the information was public, with Polymarket flagging the suspicious activity and reporting it to authorities.
• The case highlights concerns over insider trading in prediction markets, which have grown under the Trump administration's support, including involvement from President Trump's eldest son as an adviser and investor in platforms like Polymarket.
• Van Dyke was granted bond in North Carolina and will continue his case in New York, with U.S. authorities emphasizing that misusing classified information for personal gain in prediction markets is illegal and a breach of government trust.