How were you able to train the specialized units of the Spanish Army in Executive Protection?
Well, the first thing that’s important to mention is that I was invited to do the training. The Spanish Marine Corps has a specific exercise called the Escoltex, which is a yearly exercise in which they get together all the most important specialized units of the Spanish army.
Different branches of the military are taking part in the exercise, including the Marine Corps, the Infantry, and the Air Force, along with their respective specialized units focused on protecting high-level executives and personnel. Additionally, the exercise involves not only the military but also the National Police and the Civil Guard.
They invited me to provide training in executive protection—nothing beyond that—because I was approached by a colonel who was the Chief of the Joint Command of the Spanish Marine Protection Force at the time.
He reached out to me after reading my article, “The Eight Lessons We Learned from the Assassination of Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Francisco Fernando Villavicencio.”
He appreciated the approach outlined in my article, then watched my YouTube videos, and eventually read my book. After that, he decided, “OK, I want to bring this guy to Spain to teach us his methods in executive protection.” He believed that the method we developed and teach is quite different from what they were accustomed to, and he seemed to value that distinction.
As a result, I was officially named an advisor in training. In 2024, I traveled to the Canary Islands, where we began the training. Initially, I focused on training the instructors so they could continue teaching members of the Spanish Marine Corps in this protection system. Later, we conducted an exercise called Escoltex, in which various Spanish military, police, and civilian guard units participated. These forces underwent an intensive one-week training program in our methods.
So, we continued our collaboration, which has been a tremendous honor for me. It was the first time ever that a private school and a civilian instructor were responsible for training the military in this field.
This initiative makes me incredibly proud to see it come to life. It also highlights the forward-thinking leadership of the Spanish Navy, which was willing to embrace innovative approaches.
What they found particularly valuable was the cutting-edge nature of our methods and the real-world experience we bring. Since we operate in Mexico—where crime is constant and executive protection is carried out in some of the most dangerous places in the world that aren’t technically at war—they saw an opportunity to learn from our firsthand experience.
They were very interested in gaining those insights, and I’m truly happy and honored that they appreciated the training.
How did you tailor your training program to meet the specific needs of the military personnel, or how do these needs differ from the traditional executive protection?
What I always strive to teach is the principles of modern executive protection, specifically what I call timeline-based executive protection—as opposed to traditional space-based protection.
Conventional executive protection operates like securing a building: establishing a perimeter and defending a fixed space. However, a building doesn’t speak, move, or make decisions. Protection cannot rely solely on controlling a static area.
That’s why we developed timeline-based executive protection, which focuses on responding to the various phases of an attack’s preparation, not just the attack itself. The old-fashioned approach was purely defensive, but our method is proactive and offensive—we disrupt the different stages of an attack before it can fully materialize.
This approach is grounded in the concept of “Rings in Time.” While traditional executive protection relied on spatial “protection rings,” our system is built on temporal rings.
Counterintelligence neutralizes threats months in advance; early warning systems act hours or minutes before an attack, and protective logistics, combined with technical operability, reduce exposure and minimize attack vectors. This forces adversaries to abandon their plans or make critical errors at the last moment, enabling protectors to take anticipatory and effective action.
By shifting from spatial rings to temporal rings, we redefine executive protection, prioritizing anticipation over reaction. Attacks are neutralized at a distance—both in time and space—from the executive, rather than waiting for a reactive response, which history has shown to be less effective.
Regardless of the country, the attack preparation process is always very similar. While cultural factors—like traffic flow or local security customs—may vary, the timeline of an attack remains consistent, often spanning months. This approach works in Mexico, the United States, and anywhere else in the world.
The key shift is moving from a defensive mindset to an offensive strategy that dismantles threats before they escalate. That is the essence of modern executive protection.
Were there any unexpected obstacles during the training process? If there were any, how did you overcome them?
Well, as with everything in executive protection, I believe that with careful planning and a well-executed plan, things can go very smoothly. The cooperation and communication were excellent, both with the students and the senior members, including those from the logistics sections and the various areas involved. The preparations were incredibly thorough, and everything was executed flawlessly.
We even held some exhibitions so the commanders of the different units could see what we did and what they had achieved. It was truly amazing to witness the results.
What impact do you believe your training had on the Spanish military’s approach to executive security operations?
First of all, I think we made the right impact even before we began the training because the senior commanders and executives in the Marines and Army were very impressed with the initial approach.
The first major shift we had the opportunity to make was in their mindset. We moved away from the typical, mainstream view of executive protection, which focuses heavily on weapons and reactive responses. The general belief is that executive protection is about defending someone, but we know that the real essence of protection is much broader than that.
In mainstream views, there’s often an overwhelming focus on weapons and physical defense. There’s little attention to the bigger picture—everything we can do before ever needing to use a weapon.
Take, for example, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Looking at it, it’s clear that the focus was purely on responding to the threat, with no preemptive tools or strategies being used. This reactive approach is not what we want in executive protection.
In our training, based on the research we’ve done together with Ep Wired on the effectiveness of firearms in executive protection, we found that firearms are effective only about three to four percent of the time. That’s not to say firearms are useless in executive protection—they can save lives, and I’ve never stated otherwise. But they have a very limited effectiveness.
The point I always make is that executive protection should not be based on firearms alone. While firearms certainly have their place, they shouldn’t be the primary focus. Instead, the foundation of executive protection should be the offensive approach we’ve been teaching, not a defensive, reactionary one.
I’m extremely proud of the progress we’ve made in shifting the perspective and showing that there’s a much more effective and comprehensive way to approach executive protection.
If you had the opportunity to expand your military training programs further, what additional skills or strategies would you prioritize or include that are not included yet?
One of the most important skills we are now focusing on and developing very advanced training programs for is cognitive science—specifically cognitive operations or what we call cognitive dominion.
The most common complaint among protectors worldwide is that, no matter how well-trained they are or how effective the strategies they aim to implement might be, executives simply fail to understand their importance and are unwilling to cooperate enough for these strategies to be successfully carried out. Protectors often criticize executives for not understanding, but the reality is that it is us, the protectors, who have not been adequately trained in the necessary techniques of persuasion and influence to secure the cooperation of the protectee in the execution of plans beneficial to their own safety.
These are essential skills in bridging the gap between what the protectors know and what the principals need to understand. It’s about how the protector communicates and influences to ensure the principal sees the value of the necessary security measures.
In executive protection, you might know how to use a gun, various weapons, or martial arts, but what happens if, at a critical moment, the protectee just leaves the building and says, “Take me to this place,” without giving you prior notice? Suddenly, you’re in a situation where you need to plan the route, but the protectee doesn’t understand why that’s important—and you don’t know how to communicate that.
This is why cognitive operations have become the most crucial skill set in modern executive protection. And that involves what we call PPCI: Profiling, Persuasion, Collaboration, and Influence.
Why profiling?
You need to understand the psychological profile of your protectee. This isn’t about clinical profiling, but rather creating an approximate profile through conversation and asking the right questions when the opportunity arises. You wouldn’t directly ask your protectee, “Can I make a profile of you?” Instead, you gather this information subtly over time.
Field intelligence officers are trained in these profiling techniques when recruting their assets. This kind of knowledge is invaluable for executive protectors.
Once you have the right psychological profile of your protectee, you can tailor your communication and messages to make them more receptive to your needs, ensuring smooth operations.
The importance of PPCI
The next skill is persuasion—how you persuade the protectee to follow your lead and collaborate. By understanding their profile, you can approach them in a way that resonates with them personally. This goes hand in hand with collaboration—getting the protectee and those around them to work with you.
Finally, influence is critical. The ethical use of influence is powerful in executive protection. It’s not about manipulation; it’s about applying ethical influence to ensure the protectee understands and cooperates with necessary procedures for their safety.
These skills, grounded in cognitive science and ethical influence, allow us to create an environment where the protectee understands why planning, collaboration, and cooperation are essential—and where you can effectively execute your protection duties. This is the foundation of modern executive protection.
Hard skills versus soft skills is a common distinction in Executive Protection. What are your thoughts on this comparison?
You’re absolutely right in pointing out that it’s more than just the typical distinction between “hard skills” and “soft skills.” The cognitive skills we’re focusing on in executive protection are far from just speech. These are essential techniques rooted in cognitive science, and they’re as much about mental processes as physical ones. That’s why we refer to it as cognitive operations—because there’s a deep science behind the techniques we’re teaching.
This shift toward cognitive operations in executive protection is key. Without these skills, effective protection simply can’t happen. It’s not just about being able to shoot a gun or physically defend a person; it’s about understanding how to influence and communicate with the protectee, how to preempt threats, and how to navigate complex human interactions.
As for how I realized the need for these skills, I have a background in intelligence, which gave me a solid foundation in many of these techniques. Early in my training, I was part of a group focused on executive protection but embedded within intelligence agencies. Those agencies were the ones in charge of executive protection back in the day in my native country, and they provided a broad set of skills—intelligence gathering, counter-surveillance, and cognitive operations—which included knowing how to communicate, persuade, motivate, and influence. We learned how to apply techniques like the MICE acronym (Money, Influence, Coercion, Ego), which were critical in intelligence operations.
However, those techniques aren’t commonly used in today’s executive protection field. Yet, when we see the disconnect between protectors and protectees—the misunderstandings that arise—we realize these skills are absolutely necessary. And that’s why we’re investing so much in research and collaboration today.
I can share an exclusive with you: We’re developing a great collaboration with Andrew Bustamante, a former CIA field officer who’s an expert in this area. He’ll be visiting us in Mexico City to give a workshop on cognitive operations in executive protection. This workshop will focus on how to adapt the principles of executive protection to modern needs, and I’m really excited about it as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our academy this year.
It’s going to be incredibly insightful, and I’m looking forward to the knowledge exchange.
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