A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was arrested on Thursday after allegedly betting on Maduro’s removal from office before news of the raid was made public, a law enforcement source told CBS News.
Federal investigators believe the soldier made bets of more than $33,000 on the prediction market Polymarket within hours of President Trump’s announcement in January that Maduro had been captured, the source said. The bets hit and resulted in winnings of more than $409,000.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, Mr. Trump announced in a Truth Social post that the Venezuelan president and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the Country.”
Shortly before Mr. Trump’s post, a Polymarket account holder placed a $32,537 bet on the likelihood that Maduro would be “out by January 31, 2026.”
Three additional bets were made via the same Polymarket account: a $1,000 wager on the U.S. invading Venezuela by Jan. 31; a $250 wager that Mr. Trump would invoke the War Powers Act against Venezuela by Jan. 31; and a $146 wager that U.S. forces would land in Venezuela by the end of the month.
This is a developing story and will be updated.