Photo by: XNY/STAR MAX/IPx 2026

The Department of Justice has reportedly arrested a special forces soldier for allegedly placing bets and cashing in on the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

ABC News reported on Thursday that the soldier participated in the strongman’s takedown during a U.S. operation on Jan. 3, but not before betting $33,000 on prediction market Polymarket that Maduro would be removed from office.

The series of bets allegedly netted the commando more than $409,000, and spurred a monthslong investigation on insider information, the report said.

“Sources told ABC News that the soldier was directly involved in the high-stakes military operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife,” according to ABC News.

The report continued:

According to Polymarket, a trader who created an account in Dec. 2025 bet $33,933 across four predictions related to the U.S. invasion of Venezuela and the capture of Maduro. The largest position — a $32,537 bet that Maduro would be out of office by Jan. 31 — resulted in a 1,242% profit of $404,222.

ABC News said the arrest and indictment were believed to be the first instance of the DOJ prosecuting someone for insider trading on a prediction market. They were unable to reach Polymarket for comment.

Following the military operation, Maduro and his wife were transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and are awaiting trial on federal charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

Earlier this week, the BBC reported signs of illegal insider trading based on President Donald Trump’s news-making pronouncements.

The outlet examined claims that traders have been betting millions of dollars just before Trump makes major announcements to reporters or via Truth Social.

According to the report, “The BBC has examined trade volume data on several financial markets and matched them to some of the president’s most significant market-moving statements.”

“It found a consistent pattern of spikes just hours, or sometimes minutes, before a social media post or media interview was made public,” the report said.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!