Data from public fitness tracking platforms, combined with open-source research, has revealed the presence of American private security personnel at military sites in Libya in 2024. Evidence discovered by Nordsint suggests that American private security contractors—possibly affiliated with the Frontier Services Group (FSG)—were active at Libyan National Army (LNA) installations from June to November 2024.
The Frontier Services Group (FSG) is a private security company founded by Erik Prince, former head of American PMC Blackwater Worldwide. Prince resigned as the deputy chairman and executive director in 2021. The group is currently under US sanctions, and is partially owned by the Chinese government.
Following the Libyan Civil War which lasted from 2014 until a 2020 ceasefire, control of the country has been split between two separate groups. Eastern and central Libya is under the control of Khalifa Haftar’s LNA based in Tobruk, while Western Libya is controlled by a UN-recognized government under Abdulhamid Dbeibah.
Ground Activity in Libya
On the fitness app Strava, users can publicly share their running routes and workout data. A Strava account with the username “Mike Benish” logged multiple runs at military bases in Libya. The profile picture of the account matches Michael Benish, who on LinkedIn identifies his employer between August 2017 and July 2024 as the Frontier Logistics Consultancy DMCC, a subsidiary of the Frontier Services Group. According to both his LinkedIn profile and FSG’s official website, Benish held the position of Director of Training and Operations during his period of employment.
At the time of publication, Benish’s LinkedIn account has been deleted. However, Benish’s employment information can still be found on RocketReach which scrapes data from public social media.
Benish’s LinkedIn profile states that he served in Operational Detachment Alpha 761, a U.S. Army Special Forces unit, from 1989 to 1997. Following his military service, he worked with several private security and defense firms, including Airscan International and Edinburgh International.
Benish’s profile picture on LinkedIn (left) and Strava (right)
Benish logged his first run on June 28, 2024, at a military base in Benghazi, Libya. Google Maps labels the site as the headquarters of the Tariq Ben Zeyad Brigade. A YouTube video geolocated by Nordsint titled “The Annual General Assembly of the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces ‘Tariq Bin Ziyad Reinforced Brigade’ in Benghazi” further confirms the connection between the brigade and the base. In December 2022, Amnesty International accused the Tariq Ben Zeyad Brigade of war crimes and violations of international law.
Run logged by Benish at the base
After another run at the Benghazi base on June 30, Benish’s next recorded activity appeared at a military installation identified on Google Maps as “Al-Rahba Camp” in the town of Sawknah, Libya. He logged several runs at Al-Rahba, with the last recorded on July 13, 2024. Following his time in Libya, Benish logged a run in Dubai on August 9. Eighteen days later, on August 17, he logged another workout in Lago Vista, Texas.
Run logged by Benish in Sawknah
On September 14, Benish returned to the base near Sawknah, where data from his Strava profile indicates he remained until November 21, 2024. In January 2025, Benish resumed running in the United Arab Emirates, where he stayed until May 18, when his Strava showed his exercise location in Kampala, Uganda. It remains unclear whether Benish was employed by Frontier Services Group during his time at the Sawknah base.
Alongside Benish, another Strava account under the username “Max K” was active at the same location. Using facial recognition tools on the profile picture of the account, Nordsint identified the account owner as Maximilian Krepf. Krepf’s LinkedIn profile lists a history of employment with various private security firms, and he is currently employed by the Alamo Gun Range in North Naples, Florida. No links to the Frontier Services Group appear in his LinkedIn profiles or other social media platforms.
Krepf’s account first appeared at the base near Sawknah on September 12, 2024, with a run titled “Compound Run.” On September 21, it logged another activity labeled “Post 8hrs Fighting in North Africa.” Krepf remained at the base through November 2024, with his last recorded exercise there on November 10. He resumed logging workouts in Florida starting December 8.
Run logged by Krepf
On his Instagram profile, a pinned video shows Krepf firing an AK platform rifle. Background details in the video approximately match hills near Sawknah, and the placement of tires on the berm can also be found in satellite images of the area. Despite these details, confirming the exact location with certainty is difficult due to a lack of precise distinguishing features.
Details such as tire placement (red) two hills (green) and approximate ridgelines (white) match between the two videos (image credit: Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Maximilian Krepf)
Krepf, Benish and the Frontier Services Group have not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication. When contacted on WhatsApp, Benish blocked the account he was messaged by.
Other military groups have been active in the Jufra district of Libya where the town of Sawknah is located. According to All Eyes on Wagner and Verstka, Russian military personnel were present at Al Jufra airbase in 2024, approximately 23 kilometers away from the area where Benish and Krepf were located.
In January 2024, the website of the Frontier Services Group advertised positions for security specialists in the Middle East and North Africa region. At the time of publishing, the group continues to recruit personnel for activities in Southern Africa.
Addendum 06/18/2025
Although Krepf did not respond to requests for comment, he read a message sent to him on Telegram and has set his Strava account visibility to private.
Cover image obtained by Verstka Media
Article by Ryan X