Draft:Nelson Vergara

Nelson Dejesus Vergara (born November 28, 1975) is an American U.S Marine veteran, retired New York Police Department (NYPD) Detective, and Founder of 360 Protective Solutions, a private security agency based out of New York, NY.  Vergara began his prominent career as a U.S Marine assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. In March of 2005, Vergara re-enlisted and served a second tour in Iraq as a police advisor and instructor. On June 24, 2012, while off-duty as a police officer, Vergara was involved in a shooting in front of his residence in Bronx, New York. He subsequently moved to upstate New York. He studied Homeland Security and Emergency Management at Excelsior University in 2018. Vergara continued his education in advanced security and management through the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS International), the Executive Protection Institute, and the New York Police Department. Vergara worked for a private security firm in New York City as an executive protection agent for an ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individual in 2019, while off-duty from the NYPD. In March 12, 2021, Vergara started 360 Protective Solutions security service and currently serves as CEO.  In March of 2022, was appointed Chairman of the Working Group for the Board of Executive Protection Professionals. Vergara was appointed Chairman of the ASIS Executive Protection Mentorship Program in July of 2022.

Vergara was born in Queens, New York to Colombian parents. His mother, Marlene Valero, was a food preparer for a commercial airline catering company in New York. His father, Nelson Vergara was a jeweler in New York. Vergara is the youngest of six children. Vergara graduated from Middle College High School in Long Island City, New York in 1994. He entered the active-duty military service as a U.S Marine in January of 1995 until 1999. Vergara moved to Buffalo, New York and began working as a security shift supervisor at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. He re-enlisted briefly as a U.S Marine Reservist in 1999 before moving back to New York City in April of 2000 to begin the process of joining the New York Police Department.

Vergara entered active-duty service in the United States Marine Corps on January 2, 1995. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He served with other units including 3/2 India Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in Buffalo, New York, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in Garden City, New York, & 2nd Marine Headquarters Group.

Vergara re-enlisted in February of 2003 to 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines in Garden City, New York. Vergara learned 2/25 was going to be the last New York Marine infantry reserve unit to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and wanted to volunteer. After the war ended, Vergara served as a member of Task Force Finest for 2/25, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force, a law enforcement re-establishment force created to restructure the Nasiriyah Police Department while answering emergency call in the city. Vergara assisted in the training, administration, and the operations of the Iraq Police Officers.

Vergara joined 2nd Marine Headquarters Group in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as a mobile training team member (MTT) for the Iraqi Security Forces Directorate Forward (ISF-FWD). He was deployed to Al-Fallujah, Iraq and served for approximately one year. Vergara’s duties as an MTT member included advanced screening Iraqi police candidates, trained and patrolled in-service police officers. Vergara served as a Chief Police Advisor for all law enforcement operations in As Saqlawiyah, Iraq.

After marines he then joined the New York Police Department in September 2000 and was assigned to Uniformed Patrol of the 33rd Precinct in Manhattan, NY. [1]In January 2003, he was voluntarily re-enlisted to the US Marines due to the attacks of September 11, 2001. After the war ended, he was in the volunteers for another deployment to Iraq. [citation required] Vergara entered the New York City Police Academy on September 29, 2000. Upon graduation from the NY Police Academy, he was assigned to patrol services at the 33rd Precinct, located in upper Manhattan (Washington Heights). He was assigned as a Model Block Officer.

The Model Block program was an effort by the NYPD to target and clean up crime-ridden areas. It was a cooperative effort among the Patrol Services Bureau, the Narcotics Division, and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner Community Affairs and was designed to strengthen, stabilize, and eliminate drug and criminal activity on proposed model blocks. The strategy combines the Deputy Commissioner Community Affairs Office's Model Block program with selective narcotics enforcement.

Vergara was assigned as a Model Block officer until September 11, 2001.

On March 12, 2021, Vergara started 360 Protective Solutions security service with permission from the New York City Police Department. 360 Protective Solutions is a Veteran and Privately Owned security firm that offers services ranging from executive protection to traditional security guard services. 360 Protective Solutions offers training in situational awareness, active shooter survival, and armed close quarter defense. He decided to retire in December 2021 from the NYPD to focus on his new security firm.

The company founded by Vergara covers a wide array of physical security services using trained protection professionals to mitigate threats to clients and family. Their executive protection and force protection professionals are hand selected, trained, and are inducted in 360 alliance of security professionals. Every member of the 360 alliance has a seasoned background in law enforcement, military, government, or corporate security and is held to the highest standards of professionalism, positional experience, integrity, social dynamics, and physical appearance.