Soldier Accused Of Profiting $400K From Maduro Operation Called It 'The Sketchiest Thing' He'd Ever Done

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old Army specialist stationed at Fort Bragg, has been arrested after federal prosecutors say he used classified information about a covert U.S. operation to place lucrative bets tied to the dramatic capture of Venezuela's president.

Prosecutors allege Van Dyke won more than $400,000 by exploiting insider knowledge of the mission that removed Nicolás Maduro from power, then moved most of the proceeds into an overseas cryptocurrency account. Investigators say his digital trail — including messages he sent to a woman he contacted on Facebook Messenger — helped identify him.

Van Dyke requested that Polymarket delete his account after he funneled the massive payday to foreign accounts. / NPR

Private Messages and the "Sketchiest" Admission

According to messages shared with reporters, Van Dyke told a romantic interest, Gianna Lutz, that he had taken part in an operation that was "all over the news a couple months ago" and that the mission was significant enough to earn him an invitation to meet the president. In those exchanges he described the assignment as "definitely the sketchiest thing I have ever had to do," despite having signed a non-disclosure agreement barring disclosure of classified or sensitive information.

Alleged Operation And International Reaction

Prosecutors say the operation began with targeted airstrikes and culminated in U.S. forces storming Caracas in January, capturing Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple were flown to U.S. custody and now face narco-terrorism charges. The seizure has been described by analysts as the most forceful U.S. action in Latin America since the 1989 Panama invasion, and a bloc of Latin American nations quickly condemned the strikes as violating "fundamental principles of international law."

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured after a U.S. military siege in Venezuela. / XNY/Star Max / GC Images

Arrest, Charges And Financial Trail

Van Dyke, who has served in the Army since 2008, is now charged with five criminal counts, including the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain. Authorities say he transferred the bulk of his alleged winnings into an overseas cryptocurrency account and requested that the platform delete his profile. Property records show he had been quietly buying homes in the $100,000–$300,000 range for years, including a $340,000 three-bedroom purchased the same month as the operation.

President Donald Trump has expressed sympathy for Van Dyke, comparing the alleged wager to "Pete Rose betting on his own team," noting that Rose was banned from baseball for betting on games involving his team.

The case remains an active federal investigation; the allegations are from prosecutors and have not been proven in court. Van Dyke's arrest underscores concerns about leaks of classified information and the use of digital communication and cryptocurrency to conceal alleged wrongdoing.