Blackwater Founder’s Mercenaries Ambushed In Congo, Leaving 20 Dead Or Wounded
By Jack Cowhick
Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s mercenaries were ambushed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving 20 members of the team dead or wounded, Reuters reported Friday.
Members of Prince’s private military and security company Vectus Global were reportedly ambushed in mid-September, amid the company’s contract work with the Congolese government. Among the wounded is Tim Kennedy, a United States Green Beret, former UFC contestant, and podcast host. Kennedy is reportedly recovering from three gunshot wounds at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
A former New Zealand Special Forces member and “at least seven Congolese” were found dead, according to Reuters.
Vectus Global was initially contracted by President Félix Tshisekedi’s government in October 2024, although the firm has recently expanded its footprint in the country. Prince secured a multi-million dollar logistics contract with the Congolese government, according to Africa Intelligence. (RELATED: A Second ‘Scramble For Africa’ Is Unfolding As Wars Tear Across The Continent)
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 9, 2026
Vectus Global has been active in security contracts in several nations. The firm began operating in Haiti in March 2025, reportedly using armed drones to target gangs across the country. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azin also announced a “strategic alliance” with Prince in an X post in March 2025, aiming to improve the country’s “capabilities in the fight against narcoterrorism and the protection of our waters from illegal fishing.”
Prince, himself a former Navy SEAL, is a close ally of President Donald Trump and a board member of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The military contractor spoke at CPAC 2026, warning against a ground invasion of Iran.
