Trend Security Services

About Us

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About Trend Security Services
Trusted protection for executives, corporations, and high-profile clients worldwide.

Trend Security Services has built a reputation as a trusted partner for executives, corporations, and high-profile clients who require the highest standards of protection. From Fortune 500 leaders and international figures to private individuals and partner security firms, we are relied upon to deliver discreet, professional services in environments where confidentiality is non-negotiable. Based in Tennessee with roots in New Jersey, our firm operates with a national and international footprint, offering security solutions that combine the responsiveness of a local team with the resources of a global network.

Our leadership brings decades of proven experience at the highest levels of law enforcement and counterterrorism. Founded by a former Federal Air Marshal and a decorated police officer, Trend Security Services integrates military precision, law enforcement expertise, and private-sector professionalism to address complex security challenges. Every member of our team—drawn from federal agencies, state police, and military special operations—brings real-world experience and a commitment to service. This combination of operational expertise and personal attention allows us to provide strategic, sensible, and cost-effective security that protects what matters most while giving our clients peace of mind.
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Rempo headshot

Richard Rempo
Owner & Chief Operating Officer

Richard Rempo is a seasoned homeland security and counterterrorism expert with 25 years of distinguished service in federal and state law enforcement, complemented by extensive private-sector leadership. His career spans domestic terrorism investigations, federal aviation security, graduate-level teaching and scholarship, and high-level executive protection across the United States, Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin America.

Federal Service & Counterterrorism
As a former State Counterterrorism Investigator with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), Mr. Rempo coordinated multi-agency operations involving local, state, and federal law enforcement in domestic terrorism investigations. He also conducted rigorous background investigations for counterterrorism investigator applicants.

Prior to his state service, Mr. Rempo served a distinguished career as a Federal Air Marshal (FAM) with the Newark Field Office, where he retired after serving in specialized roles including Field Training FAM, Critical Incident Stress Management Team Member, undercover ground-based FAM agent, and VIPR FAM Team Member.

Since transitioning to the private sector in 2014, Mr. Rempo has specialized in executive protection, secure transportation and security driving, production and media security, travel risk management, event security management, and hurricane disaster response. He has successfully led complex security projects for high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives, and Fortune 100 to Fortune 500 companies across the United States, Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin America.

Academic & Subject Matter Expertise
An accomplished academic, Mr. Rempo holds a Master of Science in Homeland Security and has completed doctoral coursework in Public Policy. He serves as a Professor of Homeland Security at the graduate level and a recognized Subject Matter Expert.

He is a contributing author to the textbook Homeland Security and Intelligence, 2nd Edition, and has written for ASIS International’s Security Management, Homeland Security Today, and Circuit Magazine on countering violent extremism, radicalization, and lone wolf terrorism.
• M.S. Homeland Security — Doctoral Coursework in Public Policy
• Graduate-Level Professor of Homeland Security
• Contributing Author — Homeland Security and Intelligence, 2nd Edition
• Published in Security Management (ASIS), Homeland Security Today & Circuit Magazine

Core Capabilities
• Executive Protection & Security Operations Leadership
• Multi-Agency Coordination & Domestic Terrorism Investigations
• Intelligence-Led Threat Assessment & Risk Mitigation
• Trend Overwatch™ — Real-Time Threat Intelligence Platform
• Production & Broadcast Media Security
• Travel Risk Management & International Client Facilitation
• Event Security Management & Hurricane Disaster Response
• Executive Security Driving & Motorcade Operations

Role at Trend Security Services
As Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Trend Security Services, Mr. Rempo directs comprehensive security planning and operations, overseeing executive protection details, investigations, and strategic partnerships. He pioneered Trend Overwatch™, an advanced intelligence platform that leverages seasoned analysts and investigators with elite backgrounds from the CIA, ATF, DOJ, and DHS to deliver proactive, real-time threat intelligence and mitigation strategies.

From the firm’s headquarters in Johnson City, Tennessee, Richard leads a global team of 140 protection agents and analysts, as well as vetted strategic partners, serving high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives, and Fortune 100 to Fortune 500 companies with distinction across four continents, with licensed operations in multiple U.S. states and ongoing engagements throughout Europe.

Professional Highlights
• 25 Years in Service
• Retired Federal Air Marshal
• Counterterrorism Expert
• 140 Global Agents
• Trend Overwatch™ Founder
Rempom headshot

Melissa A. Rempo
Owner & Chief Administrative Officer

• Melissa Rempo is a seasoned security executive and the Owner and Chief Administrative Officer of Trend Security Services, a firm specializing in corporate risk assessment, armed executive protection, workplace violence prevention, and related security solutions founded by experienced law enforcement professionals. Her career spans more than 25 years of public service and private-sector leadership, including over a decade at the executive level in private security.

Law Enforcement & Public Service
Ms. Rempo began her career as a dedicated police officer, establishing the frontline foundation of patrol experience, community engagement, and crisis response that continues to inform her approach to protective operations.

She advanced to specialized assignments as an undercover narcotics task force investigator, conducting high-risk operations to combat drug trafficking and organized crime. The role demanded disciplined tradecraft, sustained operational security, and close coordination across multiple agencies.

Ms. Rempo later served as a police academy instructor, training and mentoring the next generation of officers in critical law enforcement skills, tactics, and ethics—a role that shaped the standards-driven culture she brings to Trend’s agent development and vetting.

Executive Leadership & Administration
With more than a decade of leadership in the private security sector, Melissa has excelled as Chief Administrative Officer, where she directs high-level administrative and operational functions. She oversees budgeting and leads a dynamic team of 140 protection agents and analysts, along with over 30 strategic global partners, ensuring seamless coordination, operational excellence, and the delivery of world-class protective services across diverse client needs.

• Administrative & Operational Leadership — 140 Agents & Analysts
• Budgeting & Financial Oversight
• 30+ Strategic Global Partner Relationships

Core Capabilities
• Corporate Risk Assessment & Security Program Design
• Armed Executive Protection Program Administration
• Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
• Budgeting, Contracts & Financial Oversight
• Global Partner Network Management & Coordination
• Undercover Narcotics & Organized Crime Investigations
• Police Academy Instruction & Personnel Development

Role at Trend Security Services
As Owner and Chief Administrative Officer of Trend Security Services, Melissa Rempo directs the administrative and operational infrastructure that supports every engagement the firm undertakes. From the company’s headquarters in Johnson City, Tennessee, she manages budgeting, agent coordination, and the strategic partner network that extends Trend’s reach across multiple U.S. states, Europe, and beyond.
Her unique blend of frontline law enforcement expertise and proven executive leadership in the private sector enables her to bring unparalleled insight, strategic vision, and operational rigor to Trend Security Services, delivering tailored, reliable security solutions that prioritize client safety and risk mitigation on a global scale.

Professional Highlights
• 25+ Years of Public Service
• Police Officer & Investigator
• Police Academy Instructor
• 140 Agents & Analysts Led
• 30+ Global Partners
Joe

Joe Waring
Director of UHNW Protective Operations

Joe Waring leads ultra-high-net-worth protective operations for Trend Security Services from the firm’s Austin, Texas base. His career spans eighteen years in law enforcement and six years in private security, including protective assignments for federal, state, and local government leaders as well as UHNW principals and high-profile figures in industry and entertainment. An experienced crisis negotiator and tactical operations specialist, he is a Board Certified Protection Professional through ASIS International and holds active Texas protective and investigative commissions.

UHNW Protective Program Leadership

Mr. Waring directs protective programs for ultra-high-net-worth principals and their families, owning the full engagement rather than a single post. His remit spans residential and estate coverage, close personal protection at home and in transit, secure movement and travel support, and the low-profile work private clients and family offices prefer. He builds the threat picture first, sets mission and posture with the principal and their advisors, then assembles, briefs, and leads the team that executes it.

Working from Austin, he supports principals throughout Central Texas and the state’s major metropolitan corridors while deploying nationally and internationally as engagements require. His Texas commissions permit both protective and investigative work in state, and long-standing relationships across Texas law enforcement give client programs a direct line to local agencies when an incident requires one.

Law Enforcement & Task Force Service

Across eighteen years in law enforcement, Joe Waring built a career defined by high-risk operations and interagency collaboration. As a Detective, he served on the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal, executing high-risk arrest warrants, and on the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force supporting federal surveillance and fugitive operations. He was later promoted to supervise Special Investigations detectives and intelligence units, directing personnel assigned to the USMS task force and to the FBI for violent crimes, ViCAP, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

He is also an experienced crisis negotiator who served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators. Reading people accurately, lowering the temperature of a volatile encounter, and resolving a crisis without resort to force remain central to how he approaches family programs, where presence and judgment settle the overwhelming majority of incidents.

Licenses, Certifications & Specialized Training
• Board Certified Protection Professional (ASIS — CPP)
• Personal Protection Officer (TX DPS)
• Private Investigator (TX DPS)
• Master Peace Officer, Honorably Retired (TCOLE)
• Mental Health Peace Officer (TCOLE)

Core Capabilities
• UHNW Family Program Design & Management
• Executive & Close Personal Protection
• Residential & Estate Security
• Covert & Low-Profile Protective Operations
• Secure Transportation & Tactical Driving
• Crisis & Hostage Negotiation
• De-Escalation & High Emotional Intelligence
• Intelligence Sourcing & Investigative Support
• Protective Team Leadership, Selection & Supervision

Role at Trend Security Services
As Director of UHNW Protective Operations, Joe Waring is the accountable leader on family and principal programs and the single point of contact for the client, their family office, and their advisors. He coordinates specialized security projects globally with a concentration on U.S.-based missions, sets the standard for agents assigned to his details, and recalibrates posture as a family’s circumstances, travel, and threat picture change.

His combination of negotiation expertise, covert and residential protection experience, and command-level leadership makes him effective where discretion matters as much as capability. Families rarely want a visible security apparatus around their home or their children; Mr. Waring delivers protection that integrates into a household without dominating it, and escalates decisively when circumstances demand.

Professional Highlights
• 24+ Years of Protective Experience
• UHNW Program Leadership
• ASIS Board Certified (CPP)
• Certified Crisis Negotiator
• Austin, Texas Based

 

Zullo

Enzo Zullo
European Travel Security Manager

Enzo Zullo is a veteran executive protection professional with more than three decades of international experience, specializing in close protection, secure travel operations, and protective advance work across Europe and the Mediterranean. As European Travel Security Manager, he serves as Trend Security Services’ forward presence abroad, safeguarding ultra-high-net-worth individuals, executives, and public figures.

International Protective Operations

Active in the security profession since 1990, Mr. Zullo has built his career at the intersection of high-profile protection and international operations. He is certified under UNI/PdR 124:2022—the Italian national standard governing the qualification of executive protection professionals—a credential reflecting both technical proficiency and recognized standing within the European protective services community.

His operational résumé spans senior protective and consulting roles with leading European security firms and international broadcast organizations, along with protective assignments supporting Saudi royal family engagements and internationally recognized entertainers, including Grammy Award-winning artist Lauryn Hill.

A native Italian based in Rome with deep professional roots in the New York metropolitan area, Mr. Zullo operates seamlessly across U.S. and European contexts. Fully bilingual in Italian and English, he maintains an established network of vetted drivers, venue contacts, and local security resources throughout Italy and the broader Mediterranean.

High-Visibility & Entertainment Environments

Before dedicating himself fully to protective services, Mr. Zullo spent more than two decades embedded in the entertainment and live-event industry on both sides of the Atlantic—coordinating major productions in Rome and New York, supporting tour and event teams for Italy’s most celebrated recording artists, and directing large-scale broadcast operations, including live international television coordination for the Vatican Jubilee in 2000.

That background gives him an insider’s command of venues, backstage operations, media dynamics, and the discreet choreography required to move principals through crowded, high-visibility environments without friction or exposure.

• Certified Travel Security Manager — UNI/PdR 124:2022 (Italian National Standard)
• Protective Assignments — Saudi Royal Family Engagements & International Entertainers
• European Advance, Venue & Secure Ground Operations — Italy & the Mediterranean

Core Capabilities
• Executive & Celebrity Close Personal Protection
• International Travel Security & Protective Advance Operations
• Threat Assessment & Low-Profile Protective Movements
• Secure Ground Transportation & Route Planning — Europe & Mediterranean
• Venue, Event & Backstage Security Coordination
• Local Authority, Venue & Vendor Liaison Across Italy & Europe
• Bilingual Operations — Italian & English

Role at Trend Security Services
As European Travel Security Manager and Senior Executive Protection Consultant with Trend Security Services, Enzo Zullo directs the firm’s protective operations abroad—conducting advance surveys, coordinating secure ground transportation, liaising with local authorities and venue security teams, and leading close protection details throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.

Mr. Zullo’s rare combination of elite protective credentials and insider fluency in the entertainment and high-visibility world makes him the definitive choice for clients traveling, performing, or residing abroad. His approach is defined by two career-long principles: uncompromising, elite-level service and complete transparency with the clients who place their safety in his hands.

Professional Highlights
• 35+ Years of Experience
• UNI/PdR 124:2022 Certified
• Rome-Based European Operations
• Royal & Celebrity Details
• Bilingual — Italian and English
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Darius Merritt
Chief of Executive Protection for Global Operations

Darius Merritt is a highly accomplished Executive Protection Agent in Charge with over 25 years of specialized experience in close protection, high-threat security operations, and tactical training. Currently serving as a law enforcement officer, Mr. Merritt brings elite expertise protecting Fortune 100–500 CEOs, political figures, and high-net-worth individuals across complex, high-profile assignments.

Military & Government Service

Mr. Merritt’s career includes multiple combat deployments overseas with the U.S. military, followed by service as a Department of State government contractor in high-risk environments, including Afghanistan. He coordinated protective details of up to 20 agents, overseeing all operational planning, advance work, route reconnaissance, venue security, and real-time command during high-profile assignments.

Following his military career, Mr. Merritt served as a Tactics and Driving Instructor and Curriculum Developer for both the Department of State and Department of Defense. In these roles, he developed and delivered advanced tactical driving, protective operations, and close-protection curricula used by government personnel worldwide.

Mr. Merritt designs and implements comprehensive personal protection plans for individuals as well as large-scale events and corporate venues for Fortune 500 companies. He is recognized for his calm leadership under pressure, strategic operational planning, and commitment to the highest standards of executive protection and public safety.

Law Enforcement & Tactical Training

Darius has maintained a distinguished career in law enforcement, regularly deploying to Central and South America to instruct foreign law enforcement and intelligence officers in narcotics enforcement, counter-drug intelligence operations, and related tactical skills. His expertise spans residential security assessments, penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, and hostile termination security details.

• Tactics & Driving Instructor — Department of State & Department of Defense
• Counter-Drug Intelligence & Narcotics Enforcement Instructor
• Workplace Violence Prevention & Threat Assessment Programs

Core Capabilities
• Executive & Dignitary Close Personal Protection
• High-Threat & Combat-Environment Operations
• Threat Assessment & Vulnerability Analysis
• Residential Security Assessments & Penetration Testing
• Large-Scale Event & Corporate Venue Security
• Hostile Termination & Workplace Violence Security
• Tactical Driving & Protective Operations Curriculum

Role at Trend Security Services

As Executive Protection Agent in Charge at Trend Security Services, Darius Merritt brings rare operational depth to every engagement—combining military combat experience, government contracting in active war zones, and decades of domestic law enforcement into a seamlessly integrated protection profile. He oversees all aspects of protective detail operations, from advance work and route reconnaissance to real-time command and post-detail assessment.

Mr. Merritt’s international reach extends to active law enforcement training missions in Central and South America, making him one of Trend’s most versatile and operationally active senior agents. His unique combination of combat-hardened instincts and executive-level discretion makes him the definitive choice for the most demanding protection assignments.

Professional Highlights
• 25+ Years of Experience
• Combat Veteran
• Government Contractor — Afghanistan
• Law Enforcement Tactics Instructor
• Fortune 500 Protection
Levi

Levi Rutherford
Lead Executive Protection Agent and Trainer

Levi Rutherford is a Lead Executive Protection Agent and Trainer and U.S. Air Force veteran with over a decade of experience in executive protection, high-threat protective driving, and security operations. He has protected government officials, foreign dignitaries, A-list celebrities, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and Fortune 100–500 corporations, maintaining a record of zero safety incidents across every engagement.

Military & Government Service

Mr. Rutherford served on active duty with the United States Air Force from 2017 to 2021 as a Security Forces Response Team Leader at Eglin Air Force Base, leading teams charged with protecting personnel and more than $16 billion in government assets. As Area Supervisor, he directed up to 20 personnel per shift across mobile and static security operations.

His protective assignments included security for Air Force One, Marine One, and the President of the United States, and he served as a Personal Protection Officer for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He also provided security for the 7th Special Forces Group, the 6th Ranger Battalion, and the 919th Special Operations Air Commandos.

Mr. Rutherford assisted the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) in a sting operation that resulted in the confiscation of illegal narcotics and firearms. He was named Top DUI Enforcement Agent in Northwest Florida and was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal for meritorious service.

Executive Protection & Tactical Training

Since 2021, Mr. Rutherford has served as an Executive Protection Agent and Private Security Contractor, working as Operations Specialist and Lead Agent on stationary and mobile details for Fortune 10 corporations, A-list celebrities, government officials, and UHNWIs, including three of the top five Fortune companies and their CEOs.

His expertise spans surveillance and counter-surveillance, intelligence gathering, de-escalation, and tactical medical response, and he has intervened in two potential active shooter situations involving schools. As a trainer, he established foundational firearms and combative readiness programs for security specialists.

• Personal Protection Officer — Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force
• NRA Certified Firearms Instructor & Readiness Program Developer
• Air Force Achievement Medal — • Meritorious Service

Core Capabilities
• Executive & Dignitary Close Personal Protection
• High-Threat Protective & Dynamic/Defensive Driving
• Mobile & Static Security Operations
• Surveillance, Counter-Surveillance & Intelligence Gathering
• De-Escalation & Active Shooter Response
• Tactical Medical Response (TCCC)
• Firearms & Combative Readiness Training

Certifications & Education
• B.S. Criminal Justice — Federal Law
• Executive Protection
• Dynamic/Defensive Driving
• TCCC, CPR, AED & First Aid
• NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
• Tennessee Armed Guard Security
• Alabama Armed Guard Security
• LEOSA Qualified
• Dallas’ Law Certified
• Active Shooter Response
• Chemical Agents (OC/CS)
• Electrical Defense (TASER)
• De-Escalation
• Safe Restraint

Role at Trend Security Services
As Lead Executive Protection Agent and Trainer at Trend Security Services, Levi Rutherford brings a disciplined, mission-first approach shaped by Air Force Security Forces leadership and years of private-sector protective operations. He leads protective details in both mobile and static environments, from high-threat protective driving and principal movements to fixed-post security and real-time coordination on the ground.

In his training role, Mr. Rutherford develops and delivers firearms, combative, and readiness instruction grounded in field-proven experience. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Federal Law, and backed by a record of zero safety incidents across all engagements, he is a trusted choice for principals who demand both discretion and uncompromising readiness.

Professional Highlights
• 10+ Years of Experience
• USAF Security Forces Veteran
• POTUS / Air Force One Security
• Zero Safety Incidents
• Fortune 10 Protection

 

Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & Answers
 


What types of clients do you work with?
We provide security services for executives, corporations, high-profile individuals, and partner security firms. Our team is experienced in discreet protection for Fortune 500 leaders, private clients, and international assignments.
 

Do you only operate in Tennessee?
While Tennessee is our home base, we maintain a national and international footprint. We regularly provide security throughout the U.S. and can deploy teams abroad as needed.
 

Are your agents licensed and trained?
Yes. Our personnel include current and former federal agents, state police, and military professionals. All are fully licensed, trained, and vetted for the highest level of professionalism.
 

What services do you provide?
Our core services include executive protection, workplace violence and termination details, threat management, risk assessments, and corporate/event security. We also provide tailored solutions for high-profile individuals and organizations.
 

Is confidentiality guaranteed?
Absolutely. Every engagement is handled with complete discretion. Client names and details are never disclosed, ensuring 100% confidentiality and trust.
 

Secure What Matters Most.

Whether you need executive protection, workplace security, or risk management, our team is prepared to deliver professional, discreet solutions you can trust.
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