A single anonymous trader made a fortune betting that Nicolás Maduro would be removed from power in Venezuela. The trader earned more than $400,000 in just a few hours. This happened on Polymarket, a crypto-based betting site. It raised questions about whether the person had secret knowledge about a US operation that captured Maduro. The trader started betting on December 27, investing $96 in contracts that would pay out if the US invaded Venezuela by January 31, according to the Wall Street Journal. Slowly, the trader increased bets, focusing on Maduro’s removal by the same date. Polymarket data shows the last bet was placed at 9:58 pm ET on Friday, just hours before President Donald Trump’s mission began. At that moment, contracts were priced at only 8 cents each, suggesting just an 8% chance of success. When news of the US action broke, contract prices shot up. From around $34,000 in total wagers, the trader made nearly $410,000 in profit. Over half the bets were made the night before the operation. The account used a default blockchain address as its screen name, keeping identity hidden. Experts suspect insider knowledge. Tre Upshaw, founder of Polysights, said, “It’s more likely than not that this was an insider. That’s a lot of money to put in at that price, without a lot of news.” The Trump administration reportedly kept the operation secret, involving 150 warplanes from 20 locations. Democratic leader Ritchie Torres plans to propose a law to stop government officials from betting on prediction markets using private information. Polymarket officially blocks Americans but many use VPNs to join. Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan said the platform relies on self-regulation. He added, “The moment there is a suspected insider, it’s pointed out on X, and it’s visible on Polymarket immediately. So it’s not like it’s done in darkness.”