Republicans are already calling on Trump to pardon special forces soldier accused of betting on Maduro’s capture

Trump pardon pressure builds for special forces soldier charged over Maduro capture bets

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Three Republican lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to pardon a Green Beret accused of running an online gambling ring that took bets on whether Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro would be captured or killed.

The plea landed less than 24 hours after the Justice Department unsealed charges against Army Master Sgt. Daniel Gould, 36, alleging he used encrypted messaging apps to collect more than $1 million in wagers on possible outcomes of U.S. operations in Venezuela.

Gould’s arrest marks the first time a serving U.S. commando has been charged with profiting from intelligence on a live military mission. Court papers say the soldier boasted to gamblers that he had “inside dope” on plans to oust Maduro after Trump signed a covert action finding in March. The White House has not confirmed any such order, but the president told reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday that “all options remain on the table” for Venezuela.

Republicans casting the case as political retaliation moved fast. Rep. Matt Gaetz posted a video statement at 7 a.m. Eastern demanding “a full, immediate pardon,” arguing the prosecution “criminalizes support for Trump’s Venezuela policy.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville followed on Fox News, calling the charges “deep-state sabotage,” while Rep. Paul Gosar introduced a resolution urging clemency “for any service member opposing socialist dictators.” All three voted last year against additional aid to Ukraine, aligning themselves with the party’s populist wing.

The speed of the coordinated push surprised GOP aides who spoke on background. One Senate staffer told GlobalBeat the talking points circulated before Gould’s indictment was even public, raising questions about who previewed the sealed case. The staffer was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

Gould, assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, allegedly ran the betting pool through a Telegram channel titled “MIL-OPS》VZLA” starting in January. An affidavit from FBI Special Agent Laura Kim says participants paid entry fees of $500 to $5,000 for brackets predicting whether Maduro would flee, be arrested, or die by year-end. Winnings were denominated in cryptocurrency and routed through a Costa Rican exchange, according to the filing.

Investigators traced 847 user accounts and seized $1.2 million in bitcoin from two wallets registered to shell companies Gould set up in Wyoming, prosecutors said. The channel’s rules, reproduced in the affidavit, warned members: “No screenshots, no Feds, no journalists. OPSEC or ban.” One message from Gould cited in the complaint read: “Jackpot if the fat man hangs from a lamppost.”

Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Crystal Boring confirmed Gould has been suspended from command but remains on active duty. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and misuse of classified information. Boring declined to say whether any operational plans were compromised.

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee called the episode a national security disaster. “This is what happens when war becomes a reality-TV betting market,” Rep. Jason Crow told reporters. Crow, a former Army Ranger, said he will request a closed briefing on what safeguards exist to prevent troops from monetizing missions. The committee’s chair, Rep. Adam Smith, signaled he may subpoena Trump-era National Security Council records to determine whether officials leaked information to fuel speculation.

Legal experts noted that presidential pardons for service members typically come after convictions, not before trial. “A pre-emptive pardon would short-circuit the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” said Rachel VanLandingham, a retired Air Force judge advocate who teaches at Southwestern Law School. She pointed to Trump’s 2019 pardons of two Army officers accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, decisions that overruled Pentagon leaders and rattled command authority.

Venezuela’s government seized on the indictment as proof of U.S. aggression. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez told state television that Washington “outsourced regime change to casino gamblers.” Caracas has previously accused the U.S. of backing a failed 2020 raid aimed at capturing Maduro. The Foreign Ministry vowed to lodge a complaint with the United Nations, though such filings rarely produce action.

Oil markets barely reacted. Brent crude futures edged up 0.2 percent to $73.74 a barrel, with traders saying they already price in elevated Venezuela risk. “It’s scandalous, but supply chains assume the country is off-line anyway,” said Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. Venezuela’s output has fallen below 800,000 barrels per day under U.S. sanctions first imposed in 2017.

The case complicates Trump’s effort to court veteran voters in North Carolina, a swing state he carried by 1.3 percent in 2024. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein toured Fort Bragg last week, promising expanded child-care subsidies for military families. Veterans account for 9 percent of the state’s electorate, Census data shows.

Background

Trump has floated military action against Venezuela since 2017, when he asked advisers why the U.S. couldn’t simply “take out” Maduro. In 2019 he recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, but Guaidó failed to dislodge the socialist government. Secret contingency plans reportedly included naval blockades and special-forces raids on oil facilities, though no open combat followed. The last major U.S. regime change, the 1989 invasion of Panama, netted dictator Manuel Noriega, who was flown to Miami for trial on drug charges.

Presidents increasingly wield pardons as political weapons. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon after Watergate; George H.W. Bush pardoned six Reagan aides in the Iran-Contra affair; Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich on his final day. Trump issued 143 pardons and commutations during his first term after bypassing the normal Justice Department review, many to loyalists such as Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. Legal scholars say the Constitution grants unlimited clemency power but warn routine partisan use corrodes the rule of law.

What’s Next

Gould is scheduled for arraignment May 5 in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, where prosecutors will seek detention pending trial, citing flight risk. Trump has not said whether he will consider a pardon, but aides told GlobalBeat he enjoys defying Pentagon brass. The White House counsel’s office has asked for the case file, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. A decision could come within weeks if the president calculates the political upside outweighs backlash from military leaders who prize unit discipline.

If Trump acts, he risks reigniting tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who publicly advised against intervening in the war-crimes cases during the first term. Hegseth issued a terse statement Tuesday saying “the chain of command must be allowed to function,” his strongest public break with the president since taking the post. Military analysts will watch whether more service members test the boundaries of mixing profit with operations if the commander in chief signals leniency.