'Maduro Capture Operation Betting' US Soldier Pleads Not Guilty in Court

by Ryu Hyunseok

Published 29 Apr.2026 10:57(KST)

A U.S. soldier accused of earning $400,000 from betting sites using classified information about a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has pleaded not guilty.

Canon Ken Van Dyke. AP Yonhap News

According to foreign media such as Bloomberg and the Financial Times (FT), on April 28 (local time), U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant Ken Van Dyke appeared at his arraignment at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him. In the U.S. criminal justice system, an arraignment is a procedure where a judge asks the defendant to plead guilty or not guilty.

Sergeant Van Dyke was allegedly involved in the planning and execution phases of "Steadfast Resolve," an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and extradite him to the United States, starting in December of last year. Despite signing a non-disclosure agreement to maintain operational security, he is accused of betting money on the prediction market platform Polymarket regarding the operation and earning approximately $400,000.

According to U.S. prosecutors, on or around December 26 of last year, Sergeant Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and deposited funds. From December 27 to January 2 of this year, he is accused of making approximately 13 bets on prediction market categories related to Maduro, such as "U.S. military intervention in Venezuela" and "Maduro ousted." Prosecutors further claim that Van Dyke converted most of his betting profits into cash, transferred them to an overseas cryptocurrency storage, and then requested Polymarket to delete his account.

He has been charged with unlawfully using government classified information and stealing non-public government information. In addition, he has been indicted for commodity fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity.

Speaking to reporters, Van Dyke's attorney stated that Van Dyke is "an American hero" and that his actions "were not criminal." The attorney added, "Since reaching adulthood, he has devoted virtually all of his time to exemplary service for this country. He has reached the pinnacle of military service. If fortune allows, we hope to return him as soon as possible to where he belongs-defending the world from every threat."