GardaWorld

This article is about a security company based in Québec. For the police force of the Republic of Ireland, see Garda Síochána.

GardaWorld Corporation

Company type	Privately held
Industry	Security & Protection Services and Cash Management Services
Genre	Security services
Founder	Stephan Crétier
Headquarters	2300, rue Émile-Bélanger Montreal, Quebec H4R 3J4
Key people	CEO: Stephan Crétier CFO: Patrick Prince President, GWFS: Pete Dordal
Services	Security and Cash Services Solutions
Revenue	$5.300 billion CAD (2023)
Number of employees	122,000 (January 2020)
Website	{{URL|example.com|optional display text}}

GardaWorld Corporation is a Canadian private security enterprise headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, employing approximately 120,000 staff as of January 2022. In the United States, it operates under the name United American Security LLC, doing business as GardaWorld.

The company’s international branch, GardaWorld International Protective Services, commenced operations in 1984. The entity now known as GardaWorld Security Corporation originated as Trans-Québec Security Inc., founded by Stephan Crétier in 1995 with an initial investment of $25,000. Globally, the firm provides physical security personnel and armoured transportation services.

History

Throughout the mid-2000s, GardaWorld engaged in multiple acquisitions, including a notable $391 million purchase of US-based security firm ATI Systems International. Subsequently, GardaWorld initiated legal action against ATI’s former CEO for allegedly providing false financial information, while the CEO counter-sued for wrongful termination.

In January 2006, the company acquired Vance International from SPX Corporation. Later that year in December, it purchased Kroll Security International from Kroll Inc.

On June 3, 2009, GardaWorld divested its guarding operations in the US and Mexico to Andrews International for US$44.25 million after experiencing significant financial difficulties the previous year; its stock price had plummeted by over 90% during mid-2008. Following this, GardaWorld underwent debt restructuring that stabilized the company but left investor confidence diminished. Over subsequent years, performance improved steadily, largely driven by increased demand for services across the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Resuming its acquisition strategy led to a debt load reaching $639 million by September 2012—approximately 4.2 times its operating profit. This financial situation prompted founder Stéphan Crétier to spearhead a buyout of GardaWorld with British private equity firm Apax Partners, announcing plans for a $300 million equity split.

On July 13, 2015, GardaWorld declared its intent to acquire Aegis Defence Services to strengthen its presence in Africa and the Middle East. The transaction was finalized on October 12, 2015, at a cost of $131 million plus an earnout component.

In 2017, Rhône acquired GardaWorld alongside Crétier and selected management members from Apax Partners in a deal valued at $2.2 billion. Apax had initially taken the company private in 2012 for approximately C$1.1 billion.

In November 2019, GardaWorld expanded by acquiring Drum Cussac, a UK-based specialist in travel risk management.

Incidents

An armored vehicle operated by GardaWorld, 2016

In 2025, GardaWorld undertook a contract to provide staff for Alligator Alcatraz, which involved participation in US immigration detention centers.

2020 inquiry into armored vehicle accidents and fatalities

A March 1, 2020 report by the Tampa Bay Times revealed that GardaWorld had a decade-long pattern of hazardous practices, with its armored vehicles frequently implicated in collisions: "Since 2008, Garda crashes have resulted in at least 19 fatalities, including three in 2019 alone." Supported by information from a former employee’s records and data (which GardaWorld unsuccessfully claimed were unlawfully obtained) and incorporated into two dismissed legal actions alongside 90 interviews—56 with present or past drivers—the investigation highlighted frequent deficiencies such as unreliable braking systems, absence of seat belts, and occasionally missing seats in their trucks. It further exposed minimal driver training and pressure on personnel to endure extended shifts despite repeated accident occurrences.

According to GardaWorld’s internal records, there was an average of more than 100 collisions each month during one timeframe, with over 320 individuals sustaining injuries across a span exceeding two and a half years. The ex-employee also claimed that GardaWorld attempted to buy her silence through financial offers; however, she declined, stating: "I am confident my decision not to accept payment or sign a release was correct. I believed truth would emerge and am thankful to share my experience to assist others."

The article additionally documents multiple wrongful death lawsuits and incidents involving GardaWorld armored vehicles causing fatal crashes, including cases in La Jolla and Arlington, underscoring ongoing safety concerns associated with the company’s operations.

2021 Fall of Kabul

On 19 August 2021, amid the Fall of Kabul, The Guardian revealed that the 125 security personnel employed by GardaWorld at the UK Embassy in Kabul were denied asylum in the United Kingdom. The reason given was that these guards were not considered eligible because they “were not directly employed by Her Majesty’s government.” In contrast, over 100 security staff contracted by GardaWorld for the US Embassy in Kabul were successfully evacuated by American authorities.

By August 27, reports indicated that GardaWorld had assembled 185 families—totaling approximately 1,000 individuals—who had worked for the embassy, in an unsuccessful evacuation effort. The company pledged to continue attempts to relocate them "once the situation stabilizes in the coming months."

March 2024 heist

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, a sophisticated group of thieves executed a $30 million USD robbery at a GardaWorld cash storage site located on Roxford Street in Sylmar, California. This event represents the largest cash theft recorded in Los Angeles history. The perpetrators accessed the premises through the roof, breached an internal safe, then exited by cutting a hole in an external wall, all without immediate detection. The stolen cash is estimated to weigh around 7,500 pounds.

The facility served as a cash repository for multiple businesses throughout the San Fernando Valley. The surrounding area is known for elevated crime rates. In the twelve months before the heist, law enforcement responded to thirteen alarm activations at this location, all ultimately determined to be false alarms. One such alarm was reported on March 30 at approximately 11:30 p.m., which may have been a test by the criminals to gauge security measures. Residents near the facility reported hearing unusual mechanical noises during the weekend of the incident.

No alarms were triggered during the actual robbery; however, subsequent alarms sounded later that morning and afternoon. At 4:36 a.m. on March 31, an alarm activated prompting police response; officers filed a report but did not document any specific observations. Police appeared to suspect illicit activity as they questioned a local resident about suspicious occurrences around that time; she was asleep and reported nothing. Additional alarms occurred at 7:22 a.m., with police arriving roughly forty-five minutes later, and again at 3:51 p.m., which was officially recorded as a false alarm.

The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI. GardaWorld only became aware of the theft upon opening their vault on the following day. By April 3, authorities discovered a cut through a concrete wall on one side of the building; this breach was later concealed with plywood, potentially linked to earlier reports of mechanical sounds. Surveillance cameras and alarm systems within the building, along with nearby Wi-Fi connections, had been deliberately disabled. Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell commented: "Gaining undetected access inside, opening an internal safe, and removing such a vast amount of property indicates prior knowledge of the alarm system, facility layout, and surveillance equipment."

In the weeks following this high-profile crime, numerous Hollywood producers expressed interest in adapting it into a motion picture.

Recruitment of Security Personnel for "Alligator Alcatraz"

In June 2025, GardaWorld's US division announced openings for armed security officers to be stationed at the migrant detention facility located in Ochopee, Florida, commonly referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz".

External links

• Official website
• Security group GardaWorld placed under investigation and ordered to leave Libya, April 26, 2023 (requires free registration)