Herbert Nelson

Herbert Nelson is a retired Airborne Master Sergeant of the United States Army and a veteran intelligence and security professional whose career spans more than four decades across military service, national security institutions, and international threat environments. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit, one of the U.S. military’s highest peacetime decorations, as well as the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal.

During over 24 years of active-duty service, Mr. Nelson served with both the 7th Special Forces Group and the 10th Special Forces Group, conducting missions worldwide across Latin America, Europe, and other regions in support of U.S. strategic objectives. His assignments encompassed combat and operational support roles focused on unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, intelligence operations, and security cooperation. 

Following his military career, Mr. Nelson continued to operate within the national security domain, supporting activities linked to the Pentagon, the White House, and elements of the U.S. Intelligence Community. His expertise includes cyber response, counterproliferation, asymmetric warfare, transnational threats, and the intersection of organized crime with geopolitical instability. 

Mr. Nelson has applied this experience to investigations and advisory work addressing cyber-enabled crime, organized criminal networks, and security challenges affecting the Caribbean and Latin American regions. His long-standing focus on irregular threats and hybrid actors provides him with a nuanced understanding of how non-state groups exploit governance gaps, corruption vulnerabilities, and digital infrastructure. 

An advocate for regional stability and institutional integrity in the Caribbean, Mr. Nelson serves as Chair of the Crime & Security Committee at the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, D.C., where he contributes to policy dialogue on transnational crime, governance, and security cooperation between the United States and Caribbean nations. 

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Nelson immigrated to the United States in 1972 and has maintained strong ties to the Caribbean community throughout his career, including advocacy for anti-corruption initiatives and diaspora engagement.

Mr. Nelson has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Webster University; Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Studies, Mercyhurst University; Graduate Certificate in Contracting and Procurement, University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Management Science, University of Maryland.