Total Intelligence Solutions

Total Intelligence Solutions, LLC, commonly referred to as Total Intel or TIS, was an American limited liability company focused on private intelligence and security services. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, in the Washington metropolitan area, it was situated near the U.S. national security and defense contracting industry. The company was founded in February 2007 by Erik Prince, best known for founding the private military company Blackwater Worldwide. Prince formed Total Intelligence Solutions by consolidating three existing entities: Black Group, LLC, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC), and Technical Defense, Inc. This consolidation gave the new company analytical, counterterrorism research, and technical security capabilities from the outset. The company's services were often compared to those of the Central Intelligence Agency, reflecting the backgrounds of its leadership and staff. At the time, Total Intelligence Solutions was described as offering a wide range of intelligence products and services, including issuing warnings about various events, open-source intelligence analysis, industrial espionage in a general sense, and the evacuation of personnel from conflict zones. This combination of analytical reporting and operational support positioned the company within the expanding private intelligence industry during the War on Terror. Total Intelligence Solutions' leadership drew heavily from U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism agencies. In 2008, Robert Richer served as the company's chief executive officer. Joseph Cofer Black, who spent 28 years at the Central Intelligence Agency and served as the U.S. Department of State's coordinator for counterterrorism from December 2002 to February 2005 with the rank of ambassador, served as chairman of the board of Total Intelligence Solutions in 2008 while also serving as vice chairman of Blackwater. Black later left the company and in 2011 became vice president of global operations at Blackbird Technologies. In 2007, Total Intelligence Solutions was a member of the International Peace Operations Association, an industry organization for private security and stabilization operations companies. By February 2009, however, the company was no longer listed as a member. Due to its association with Blackwater and its prominent founder, the company was subject to public and media scrutiny, especially amid increasing debate over the role of private contractors in national security and intelligence work. Available sources do not clearly document the current operational status of Total Intelligence Solutions, so this entry lists its status as unknown rather than confirming whether it is still active or has ceased operations.

Total Intelligence Solutions, LLC was founded in February 2007 by Erik Prince, the entrepreneur who had previously created Blackwater Worldwide, the well-known private military company. Prince formed Total Intelligence Solutions by bringing together three companies: Black Group, LLC, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC), and Technical Defense, Inc. This consolidation combined analytical expertise, counterterrorism research, and technical security capabilities into a single private intelligence firm headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company's leadership was drawn from the upper ranks of the U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism community. In 2008, Robert Richer was chief executive officer. Joseph Cofer Black, who had served 28 years at the CIA and also worked at the Department of State as coordinator for counterterrorism between December 2002 and February 2005 with the rank of ambassador, was chairman of the board of Total Intelligence Solutions in 2008 and concurrently vice chairman of Blackwater. Black later left the firm and in 2011 became Vice President for Global Operations at Blackbird Technologies. Total Intelligence Solutions offered a service portfolio that observers compared to those of the CIA. Its activities ranged from disseminating alerts about various events, to open-source intelligence analysis, to industrial espionage in general, and to the exfiltration of personnel from conflict zones. This breadth reflected both the analytical heritage of the Terrorism Research Center and the operational and technical backgrounds of its leadership. In 2007, the firm was a member of the International Peace Operations Association, an industry association for private security and stability operations companies. By February 2009, it was no longer listed as a member of that association. The company's ties to Blackwater and to Erik Prince made it a subject of public attention as scrutiny of private contractors in intelligence and national security increased. The available sources do not clearly establish the firm's later trajectory or its current status, which remains unknown.

• 2011

  Joseph Cofer Black, former chairman, becomes Vice President for Global Operations at Blackbird Technologies.

• 2009

  No longer listed as a member of the International Peace Operations Association.

• 2008

  Robert Richer serves as CEO; Joseph Cofer Black serves as chairman of the board and vice chairman of Blackwater.

• 2007

  Total Intelligence Solutions founded by Erik Prince by combining Black Group, LLC, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC), and Technical Defense, Inc.

• 2007

  Listed as a member of the International Peace Operations Association.

Private intelligence firm offering CIA-comparable services, founded by Blackwater's Erik Prince and staffed by senior U.S. intelligence veterans.

• Open-source intelligence analysis

  Analysis of publicly available information for intelligence purposes.

• Event alerts and risk monitoring

  Dissemination of alerts concerning various events.

• Industrial espionage

  Corporate intelligence and espionage services.

• Personnel exfiltration

  Extraction of people from conflict zones.

1. 1Total Intelligence Solutions – Wikipedia (French)fr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Total Intelligence Solutions – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Total Intelligence Solutions official websitetotalintel.com
4. 4DEV Capital – Investing at the edgedev.capital