TigerSwan
| Company type | Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business |
|---|---|
| Industry | Security and stability services |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | James Reese |
| Headquarters | Apex , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (over 50 nations) |
Key people | James Reese (founder) |
Number of employees | 300+ |
TigerSwan is a global security and stability organization established in 2008 by James Reese, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former Delta Force operative.
Background
Based in Apex, North Carolina, TigerSwan is recognized as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business with worldwide operations. Its founder, James Reese, dedicated 25 years to the U.S. Army, serving in advisory, command, and operational roles during the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Employing more than 300 personnel, TigerSwan operates in upwards of 50 nations. The company formerly managed a firearms training facility near Cedar Creek, North Carolina, which provided tactical instruction to military and law enforcement agencies until its divestiture and rebranding in 2014.
Iraq War
TigerSwan delivered security services for the Iraqi Mine-Unexploded Ordnance Clearing Organization, an NGO funded by the U.S. State Department responsible for removing mines and unexploded ordnance in Iraq.
2014 Sochi Olympics
At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, TigerSwan ensured the protection of Olympic committee officials, corporate partners, and spectators by utilizing advanced GPS tracking technology capable of pinpointing locations within a three-foot margin of error.
Standing Rock Protests
During the Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrations, TigerSwan was engaged by Dakota Access, LLC to provide security consultancy. Internal documents that surfaced described protesters as "an ideologically driven insurgency with a strong religious component." According to The Intercept, TigerSwan's efforts comprised an extensive private security operation featuring broad surveillance measures such as drone reconnaissance and radio interception. Additional disclosed tactics included tracking protest participants, focusing on individuals of Middle-Eastern heritage, embedding informants within camps, and disseminating counterfeit social media content opposing the pipeline.
Historian Nick Estes pointed out allegations of anti-black racial bias in TigerSwan’s reports submitted to law enforcement, noting the use of racially derogatory images targeting Water Protectors. Estes contended that these practices were part of a wider campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the camps and their resistance efforts.
TigerSwan is currently subject to legal proceedings initiated by North Dakota’s Private Investigative and Security Board for purportedly conducting unlicensed operations between 2016 and 2017 during its contract with Dakota Access, LLC. The company disputes these allegations.
Legal
In 2013, TigerSwan initiated federal litigation against the United States government for breach of contract after the Department of Defense canceled two Iraq security contracts originally awarded to TigerSwan and reassigned them to British private military firm Aegis Defence Services. The court rejected the government's motion to dismiss, affirming that a contractor does not need to demonstrate specific intent to establish a bad faith claim.