Lydia M. Bulas – CAMS

Ms. Bulas is a retired Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. A fluent Spanish speaker, she worked in all of the major money laundering investigative task forces in South Florida and Puerto Rico. She has extensive experience in complex criminal financial investigations including money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act cases. Since retiring in 2002, she has participated in independent examinations of compliance and AML programs for MSBs and banks in the U.S., South America and the Caribbean. She also works with the Office of Technical Assistance, U.S. Treasury Department providing support to Latin American countries in the AML field. She is President of Lydia Bulas & Associates, Inc.

Steven R. Smith – CAMS

Mr. Smith is a retired Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. As an expert in money laundering, Steve participated in all of the major money laundering task forces in South Florida and Puerto Rico and several special detail programs such as the Terrorist Financing Task Force, Operation Green Quest. He testified as an expert witness in criminal court and was a cadre instructor to the elite IRS Criminal Investigation Money Laundering Expert Witness training program for senior Special Agents. He also provided international training in financial investigative techniques. Since retiring in 2002, Steve has worked as an expert witness, participated as a speaker in international anti-money laundering conferences and conducted independent examinations of compliance and AML programs for MSBs and banks in the U.S. and the Caribbean. He is President of S. R. Smith & Associates, Inc.

Peter Abalia – ACAMS

Mr. Abalia is a retired Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. As an expert in money laundering investigative techniques, he participated in all of the major money laundering task forces in South Florida and Puerto Rico. He was instrumental in developing a working knowledge of the Black Market Peso Exchange in Colombia and FinCEN training programs on the BMPE. Since his retirement, Mr. Abalia has been actively involved in developing and conducting independent examinations of compliance, AML and training programs for MSBs and financial institutions in the U.S. and the Caribbean. He has participated in government sponsored AML training programs. Peter is fluent in Spanish and President of Abalia & Associates, Inc.

Saskia Rietbroek-Garces, CAMS

Saskia is the only member of our team of Associates who is not a retired law enforcement agent. She is the former Executive Director of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). She has worked as an Attorney in the Dutch Embassy in Lima, Peru. Saskia holds two law degrees, an international MBA, speaks several languages and is CAMS certified. She is also President of her own consulting firm as well as participating with Michael McDonald & Associates, Inc. on a wide range of AML programs including independent examinations of money services businesses and foreign banks.