India, April 24 -- Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been identified as the US Special Forces soldier who made a Polymarket bet on the removal of Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro, while being part of the operation to capture him and his wife.

Troops, at the direction of President Donald Trump, had captured Maduro and his wife on January 3, 2026, flying them back to the US to face indictment. Van Dyke was arrested and charged by federal authorities for betting a total of around $33,034 on the Maduro operation, they said in a press release. As a result of the operation, the soldier ended up making over $409,000.

Authorities noted that Van Dyke "participated in the planning and execution of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro." U...