U.S. Special Forces Soldier Charged with Insider Trading on Maduro Capture Bets Pleads Not Guilty

U.S. special forces soldier, pleaded not guilty on April 28, 2026, in a New York federal court to charges stemming from his alleged use of classified intelligence to bet on the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The indictment includes counts of unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

Van Dyke, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, was released on $250,000 bail with travel restricted to specific areas within New York, North Carolina, and California, along with necessary transit points. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett’s courtroom in Manhattan, sporting a shaved head and wearing a black blazer, jeans, and brown shoes.

He is represented by attorneys Zach Intrater and Mark Geragos. Prosecutors stated that Van Dyke was directly involved in the planning and execution of the Maduro capture mission and had signed non-disclosure agreements related to the operations. They allege he placed bets on Polymarket predicting Maduro would be out of power by January 31, 2026.

Van Dyke won over $400,000 on the platform using classified intelligence about the mission to capture Maduro. The indictment details that Van Dyke placed $33,934 worth of bets on Polymarket between December 27, 2025, and January 2, 2026. U.S.

Forces would enter Venezuela and Maduro would be unseated. Van Dyke withdrew $409,881 in winnings from Polymarket and transferred approximately $444,209, including accumulated interest, to a newly created brokerage account on January 16, 2026. Van Dyke was arrested on April 23, 2026.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Meyers in Raleigh, North Carolina, ordered his release on $250,000 bond on April 25, 2026. Van Dyke is currently on leave from the Army, according to his attorney Zach Intrater.

The Maduro capture mission, named Operation Absolute Resolve, occurred in early January 2026. It involved air strikes, a network of on-the-ground spies, and a massive military presence built up over months in the region. Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured in a January 2026 raid.

Polymarket identified suspicious activity by Van Dyke and reported it to the government, according to CEO Shayne Coplan. Kalshi blocked Van Dyke from opening an account due to ID requirements, according to Reuters. The case marks the first such insider trading charges involving a prediction market filed by the Department of Justice.

U.S. Army Special Forces since 2023. Geragos stated that the government accused Van Dyke of 'something that is not a crime' and vowed to file motions shortly challenging the indictment and the jurisdiction.

President Trump's eldest son serves as an adviser for Polymarket and Kalshi, and is an investor in Polymarket. Truth Social is set to launch its own prediction market called Truth Predict.