Suspicious trades make millions with bets tied to U.S. military operations

The war with Iran and the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have carried the usual hallmarks of conflict: soldiers, strategy, casualties, cost. But they've also been accompanied by a new feature: betting on war. This year alone, more than a billion dollars has been staked online on military decisions and outcomes. As if they were wagering on football games or Oscar winners, bettors all over the globe have taken positions — some suspiciously-timed and with information seemingly too specific for a civilian outsider — on when and how an attack might happen; even the fate of world leaders. It's created a whole new category of insider trading . As long as there have been wars, there have been war profiteers. But never quite like this. Cloaked in night, shrouded in secrecy, U.S. Special Operations forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3. He was taken to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. As it turned out, the president of Venezuela wasn't the only figure in the operation who would find himself confronting federal charges. U.S. Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke , who was "involved in the planning and execution" of the Venezuela mission, was charged last month with using classified intelligence to place bets, based on when the surprise raid would unfold. Rob Schwartz: If the allegations are true, this is one of the worst betrayals of trust in this area that I can remember and possibly ever. …