Trial Date Set for Soldier Charged with Insider Trading Related to Maduro Raid

A federal judge has set a tentative trial date for Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who is charged with using classified information to profit from bets on Polymarket related to the military operation that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The trial is scheduled for December 7, 2026. Van Dyke is accused of making at least $400,000 from bets placed in the days leading up to the raid, allegedly predicting the mission's timing due to his access to classified information. He faces multiple charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information and wire fraud, to which he has pleaded not guilty. During a recent court hearing, his defense indicated plans to file a motion to dismiss the indictment by July 31. If the trial proceeds as scheduled, federal prosecutors estimate their case will last about one week, while the defense anticipates a shorter presentation. This case marks the first federal prosecution of insider trading on a prediction market to go to trial, amid increasing scrutiny of such platforms by Congress.