In the United States, a military man was detained for betting on the invasion of Venezuela

US soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who participated in planning the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, bet money on the invasion of the republic and won $ 400 thousand. His scheme was uncovered, and now the soldier could face up to 60 years in prison. This was reported on the website of the US Department of Justice on April 23.

"Hanno Ken Van Dyke earned more than $400,000 trading Polymarket shares using classified information about the timing of the US military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela," the report says.

It is specified that at the end of December 2025, Van Dyke registered on the betting platform. He placed a bet of more than $33,000, claiming that by the end of January 2026, the United States would launch an invasion of Venezuela, and Maduro would be removed from office.

The American authorities accuse the military of four articles: illegal use and theft of classified government information, fraud, as well as the commission of illegal monetary transactions.

​​​​​​​How the United States and Iran are capitalizing on the crisis. Analysis

On April 22, Reuters reported that traders made more than 4,000 oil sales worth $430 million just 15 minutes before US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire with Iran. This is the third case in April and the fourth since the beginning of the Middle East conflict, when large, well-planned bets on changes in oil prices were made shortly before important statements about the war with Iran.