TigerSwan: Former Delta Operator sought to incite violence at the Dakota Access Pipeline

by Jack Murphy · February 26, 2018

It was early afternoon on October 11^th, 2016 when TigerSwan’s program manager, retired Delta Force Sergeant Major John Porter, met with Silverton’s owner, Carl Clifton, inside a hangar at the Mandan Municipal Airport. The hangar was initially used by Silverton security as a clandestine office for their intelligence cell that collected information on the protesters, self-described water protectors, at Standing Rock. The managers from the two rival private security companies had both been hired by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) to manage the protesters at the Dakota Access Pipe Line (DAPL). They had much to discuss.

Clifton and Porter talked about the profitability of running intelligence operations against the protesters versus running site security before Clifton mentioned the fact that another security company named Russel Group of Texas (RGT) is running harassing surveillance against his wife and taking pictures of her. This is the type of surveillance that CIA officers expect to have put on them in a place like Moscow to prevent them from meeting with their intelligence assets. They want you to know that you are being followed. In this case, the message to Clifton and Silverton security was clear, back off and let rival companies milk the profits from ETP.

When this subject came up, John Porter began to stutter saying, “Look dude…that’s none of my business…I…I…I’m so…I don’t even see that shit happening and it’s none of my concern either.”

About Jack Murphy

Jack served as a Sniper and Team Leader in 3rd Ranger Battalion and as a Senior Weapons Sergeant on a Military Free Fall team in 5th Special Forces Group. Having left the military in 2010, he graduated from Columbia with a BA in political science. Murphy is the author of Reflexive Fire, Target Deck, Direct Action, and Gray Matter Splatter. His memoir, "Murphy's Law" is due for a 2019 release and can be pre-ordered now.

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Old S
Fantastic story, Jack. Real journalism worthy of the NYT back when it was important. Really important story that needs serious notice.
adam l
I am not an expert on the matter, but I do believe that the keystone xl, and Dakota access pipelines are two separate pipelines that are not connected at any point. The keystone xl just cuts across the sw corner of the state in it's route to Texas, where as the dapl starts in north Dakota and ends in Illinois. I also think that there may be a small amount of Bakken crude that makes it into the keystone xl, but it's main purpose is moving Canadian oil south. Many people are surprised when they learn that oil companies blend different oils together to meet the standards they are looking for with the final product (I.e. sulfur quantity of diesel or gas, resin characteristics, etc). This is why they may take a unit train of Bakken crude to Pennsylvania or west Virginia, to blend with oil that is produced in that area which might be too high in sulfur to meet the EPA standards.
Michelle B
My comments are intended only to insult those who feel entitled to operate outside the rule of law...and apply as much to people like the white cowboy Bundys as it does to anyone else who wants to act as a crippling enabler. Most of the Native Americans I know (family and friends and co-workers) are intelligent and capable and productive and have a beautiful culture of their own worth respecting and learning from. But the popular victim narrative of past wrongs from generations ago making it impossible to overcome life's challenges or to make excuses for selectively engaging in the political, legal, economic, and social processes of the modern world are generally (but not always) ridiculous, insulting, and a waste of words that stop short of any meaningful change. But, I agree that there are a lot of mistakes and missed opportunities that were made on every side, and I have listened to states and tribes share lessons learned with each other from this experience, and thoughtful conversations about how to improve communication and responses for the future...which I think is the highest and most noble use of those mistakes possible.
Firewater
Not to mention , Keystone has been portrayed as a single issue , when there are over 60 existing pipelines already transecting the border. This one however had all the ingredients for the most people to make the most money , by publicizing it as transgressing on “indigenous tribal peoples” by force. Silly ass shit the public gulps down , and pays for in the long run. It is also ,why the security contracts ended up being so lucrative. Much ado was made about 210,000 gallon spill recently on Keystone. That is about the third of an olympic sized swimming pool.... and everyone forgets, we are dealing with decayed plant and animal material , changed by temperature and pressure into a volatile , but wholly organic substance. Facts , just seem to get in the way of the show , anymore.
LPD256
Jack-So you’re saying the TigerSwan guys are now available for government contracted school security jobs? Cool.......