Editing G4S Secure Solutions (section)

== Relationship with the US government ==
Wackenhut was founded in 1954 by former FBI agent George Wackenhut and three partners as ''Special Agent Investigators Inc.''. Early board members included individuals with ties to the anti-communist [[John Birch Society]]. Wackenhut had good contacts in politics, including Florida Governor Claude Kirk and Senator [[George Smathers]], a friend of [[John F. Kennedy]]. Soon after its founding, Wackenhut received lucrative contracts to guard [[Cape Canaveral]] and nuclear weapons testing sites in Nevada.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=SPY MAGAZINE: WACKENHUT |url=https://prop1.org/legal/prisons/92wack.htm |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=prop1.org}}</ref>

Wackenhut has a long history of working with the U.S. government and military. The company recruited extensively from the military and intelligence communities. Many former [[CIA]], FBI and other government officials have served on the company's upper levels over the years. For example, former FBI Director [[Clarence M. Kelley|Clarence Kelley]] and Deputy CIA Director and Secretary of Defense [[Frank Carlucci]] served on Wackenhut's board of directors. [[William J. Casey|William Casey]], President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s CIA director, was Wackenhut's attorney before joining the [[Reagan administration]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Alleged CIA ties ===
Wackenhut was alleged to be a CIA front company during the cold war. CIA analyst William Corbett stated: “For years, Wackenhut has been working with the CIA and other agencies, including the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]]. Wackenhut has allowed the CIA to occupy positions within the company to carry out covert operations.” Wackenhut provided the CIA and DEA with information and was rewarded with government contracts in return. As a partner of the US government, Wackenhut received contracts in sensitive areas of national security, such as embassies and nuclear power plants. Under the Reagan administration, there was a significant increase in contracts.<ref name=":0" />