US Special Forces soldier denies insider trading on Maduro arrest plot

A U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sergeant pleaded not guilty on April 28 in a Manhattan court to charges of insider trading. According to prosecutors, Cannon Kent Van Dyk, 38, participated in the planning and execution of an operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He is accused of using that information to bet on the leader's ouster on the prediction market platform Polymarket, earning a profit of $400,000. Federal Magistrate Judge Margaret Garnett is presiding over the case. Van Dyk was released on a $250,000 bond. The case arises amid growing concerns about insider trading related to the Iran war, and the White House has previously prohibited its staff from trading on government information. Polymarket has also faced criticism for allowing bets on topics such as the potential rescue of a downed U.S. pilot.