Copper Intelligence Inc., the company holding mining rights over the Butembo copper project in North Kivu, announced on April 13, 2026 the appointment of Enrique "Ric" Prado to its board of directors. Prado, born in Cuba in 1951 and a naturalised American, joined the CIA in 1980 following military service and a stint in a special forces unit. He left the agency in 2004 after a career that included senior roles in clandestine operations.
Following his departure from the CIA, Prado served from 2004 to 2010 as vice-president for special government programmes at Blackwater, the private security firm founded by Erik Prince. Prince has himself maintained a presence in the DRC through Frontier Services Group, which has been associated with activities including securing mining logistics chains, border control operations, cargo monitoring, and technical assistance on inspections.
The Butembo project is located in the Bashu chieftaincy, a territory in North Kivu regularly exposed to insecurity and attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Copper Intelligence did not specify in its announcement the precise operational role Prado will fulfil, though his background in security and sensitive operations is understood to be directly relevant to the project's operating environment.
At present, the project remains in exploration phase. Copper Intelligence has indicated that a drilling campaign is underway, with initial results expected in early May 2026. Those results are intended to provide a preliminary assessment of the site's geological potential ahead of any decision on large-scale investment.
