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Nardine Saad and

Kayla Epstein, In court in New York

Gannon Ken Van Dyke/Facebook/RealDonaldTrump via Reuters

Gannon Ken Van Dyke/Facebook/RealDonaldTrump via Reuters

The US special forces soldier who made thousands of dollars betting on the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty to charges that he used classified information to profit.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, was arraigned in New York federal court on Tuesday after being accused last week of betting on Maduro's January capture before the information was publicly available.

The US government contends that he allegedly made trades on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, on the basis of classified information, winning more than $400,000 (£296,000).

A federal judge released him on a $250,000 bond and ordered that he surrender his passport and restrict his travel.

Van Dyke, clad in a dark suit with a black shirt to match, sat at the defence table alongside his team - which now included the high-profile…