Reported by Benoit Faucon and Vera Bergengruen

(Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/erik-prince-mercenaries-vectus-global-5a166dca?mod=mhp)

Erik Prince, the controversial founder of Blackwater, is reasserting himself in the private military industry with his new company, Vectus Global, pitching security solutions to governments and businesses in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean. Prince, once disgraced over Blackwater’s role in the killing of civilians in Iraq, is leveraging ties to Trump allies to re-enter the scene, positioning his contractors as “gap-fillers” where U.S. influence has waned and local governments lack capacity.

Prince is marketing his services to countries facing violent crime, resource struggles, or political instability. In Haiti, his team used drones with explosives—modeled on Ukraine war tactics—to help police kill over 200 alleged gang members, though civilians were also among the casualties, drawing concern from Canada, the UN, and U.S. lawmakers. In Congo, he signed a $30 million deal to secure mines and borders, using force if necessary. In Ecuador and El Salvador, he has cultivated close ties with right-wing leaders, offering counter-narcotics operations and supporting U.S. deportation policies.

Prince argues his model is cheaper and more effective than international aid missions, offering results where institutions are weak. But critics warn his privatized warfare risks abuses and undermines accountability, echoing Blackwater’s bloody legacy in Iraq.

His political connections remain central: Prince regularly coordinates with Trump-era officials and allies like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and he continues to advise figures close to the former president. Though his current company is far smaller than Blackwater at its peak, he aspires to be America’s answer to Russia’s Wagner Group, protecting U.S. business interests abroad in critical sectors such as energy and minerals.

In essence, Prince is attempting a comeback as a global mercenary broker, betting on Trump’s transactional foreign policy, fragile states’ desperation for security, and the private sector’s need to safeguard investments in unstable regions.