AML International SUMMIT 2026

Mtro. Omar Reyes Colmenares

Titular de la Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF) de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP)

A graduate in Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and with a Master’s degree in Oral Litigation, he has over 25 years of professional experience in intelligence work.

• Current position: Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), since August 2025, where he promotes inter-institutional coordination for the effective fight against crimes that threaten the financial system.

• He currently leads the National Strategy against Money Laundering and the Prevention of Money Laundering.

Other positions

• He has held positions in various intelligence and security agencies, including Interpol, the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC-FGR), the Federal Police, and the National Intelligence Center (CNI), among others.

Throughout his career, he has received recognition from U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Throughout his professional career, Omar Reyes has received training, specializing in intelligence, money laundering, and high-risk operations, in various countries across the Americas and Europe.

He has participated in training activities and contributed to police investigation training in Mexico and abroad for officers from various agencies.

Ángel Cabrera Mendoza

President of the National Banking and Securities Commission.
(CNBV)

He has a specialized background in financial policy, regulation, and legislative technique within the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.

A lawyer by profession, throughout his career he has participated in the drafting and reform of fundamental laws for the Mexican financial system, as well as in the administrative interpretation of provisions that guide the actions of authorities such as the CNBV and CONDUSEF. As Coordinator of Banking and Securities in the Banking, Securities, and Savings Unit, he was responsible for formulating regulatory and supervisory policies applicable to commercial banks, the securities market, investment funds, financial technology institutions, and other supervised entities.

Among his achievements are the coordination of relevant legal reforms in the areas of the securities market and administrative sanctioning processes, as well as the organization of the first editions of “Fintech Week,” promoting technical dialogue and the development of the digital finance ecosystem in Mexico.

His management is characterized by a technical, institutional approach focused on strengthening the regulatory framework and the stability of the financial system.

Douglass Benning

Deputy Chief of Mission
Department of State

Deputy Chief of Mission Douglass Benning joined the Department of State in 1996 and is a member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.

Prior to joining Mission Mexico, Mr. Benning served as U.S. Consul General in Milan from 2023-2026. From 2021 to 2023, he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Consular Affairs, managing the Department of State’s global consular operations. He has extensive experience in Consular Affairs, where he has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resources, Executive Director, Senior Advisor, and Director of Domestic Visa Operations. Mr. Benning was Director of the Operations Center, the State Department’s 24-hour crisis management and communications center, from 2015 until 2016, where he previously served as Deputy Director.

From 2014 to 2015, Mr. Benning worked at the National Security Council as a Deputy Executive Secretary, managing interagency communications. Prior to that, he was Director of Crisis Management Training at the Foreign Service Institute. He served as the Consul General in Tegucigalpa, and other postings include London, Prague, and Mexico City and assignments in the Consular Affairs Bureau and Operations Center.

Mr. Benning is a graduate of Tulane University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He speaks Spanish and Italian. Born in Augusta, Georgia, he is married with two adult children and is an avid tennis player.

Nicholas Warner

Deputy Attaché of IRS-CI in Mexico City

Nicholas “Nick” Warner is currently serving as Deputy Attaché of IRS-CI in Mexico City covering Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador. Prior to this role, Nick served as Acting Deputy Attaché for IRS-CI in Bogota, Colombia covering South America. 

Before arriving in Mexico City, Nick served as a Senior Analyst in the International Operations section. In this role he led a team of Analysts supporting international case development and worked directly in support of multiple Attaches around the world. Prior to joining IO, he served as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Portland, Oregon post of duty for nearly 3 years where he supervised both Special Agents working money laundering investigations as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and others investigating tax evasion and general fraud. He also served as a Senior Tech Agent for the Seattle Field Office where he provided technical expertise across multiple states on the equipment utilized in undercover operations and surveillance.

Nick joined the Seattle Field Office as a Special Agent (SA) in 2011. He worked a variety of investigations including employment tax, narcotics/money laundering, identity theft, theft of government funds and general fraud. His casework has given Nick extensive experience in all aspects of the criminal investigative process. He has testified extensively at grand jury and trial, worked multiple trials, planned and lead multiple search warrants, undercover operations and arrest warrants. Additionally, he served for approximately four years as the Coordinator of the Suspicious Activity Report Review Team. In this role, Nick presented numerous trainings to the AML/BSA teams at various financial institutions (including banks and cryptocurrency exchanges), planned and presented at Money Laundering conferences for both private industry and law enforcement partners.

Before joining IRS-CI, Nick spent a number of years teaching university courses in international political economy, business, organizational behavior and English at UC San Diego and Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica. Prior to this he worked as a financial analyst for a Fortune 500 company. He earned an undergraduate degree in Finance and International Business from Oregon State University and has graduate degrees in International Business and Political Economy from the University of Hawaii and University of California – San Diego, respectively. 

Elizabeth Bedoya

Acting Cyber ​​Attaché for Latin America, IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI)

Elizabeth Bedoya serves as Acting Cyber ​​Attaché for Latin America in the IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), where she leads international coordination on cybercrime throughout the region. With a distinguished career spanning more than 20 years at the IRS, Bedoya has served as a Special Agent in the Boston Office, in the Cybercrime Unit in Washington, D.C., and on various international assignments supporting cybersecurity initiatives.

Having progressed through roles such as Special Agent, Supervisor, and now Acting Cyber ​​Attaché, Bedoya brings extensive experience leading investigations related to tax crimes, identity theft, wire fraud, money laundering, financial activities linked to drug trafficking, and complex financial schemes enabled by cyber technologies. Her career reflects a strong track record of leadership in interagency operations, strengthening international partnerships, and supporting high-impact investigations that protect the U.S. financial system. In her current role, Bedoya works closely with law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, and government partners throughout Latin America to strengthen investigative capabilities, coordinate cross-border investigations, and advance IRS-CI’s mission in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Carlos Rivera

Carlos Rivera is a CAMS-certified financial crime professional with over 15 years of experience specializing in anti-money laundering (AML), financial investigations, cybercrime, sanctions, and cryptocurrency investigations.

As a fully embedded government contractor supporting IRS-CI, he assists with digital assets investigations by providing blockchain analysis, lead development, cryptocurrency tracing, search warrant support, seizure identification, and investigative case support across a wade range of criminal matters.

His expertise includes blockchain analytics, transaction monitoring, illicit finance typologies, and cryptocurrency tracing, supporting federal law enforcement efforts to identify and investigate financial crimes involving digital assets.

Tyler Carruth

Treasury Attaché for Mexico and Central America

US Department of the Treasury

Tyler Carruth currently serves as the Financial Attaché to Mexico and Central America. Prior to this role, he was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (TFFC), where he coordinated Treasury’s anti-cartel strategy, led engagement with Mexican government agencies on illicit finance issues, and developed initiatives to strengthen US-Mexico cooperation in identifying and disrupting money laundering.

Tyler has also played a leading role in Treasury’s on developing and implementing public-private engagements on a range of issues including addressing systemic corruption, the understanding of illicit finance risk, and potential de-risking of U.S. correspondent relationships. He led AML/CFT-focused dialogues with authorities and major financial institutions in Central America and the Caribbean, pioneered Treasury initiatives to improve vetting of Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs which led to the establishment of a regional regulator, and served as U.S. Head of Delegation to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force where he successfully led a bid for the United States to join as a full member.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management and a Master of International Affairs in International Development and Economic Policy, both from Texas A&M University.

Gustavo Pérez

Deputy OFAC Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City

Gustavo Pérez is the Deputy OFAC Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

He joined OFAC in August 2023 as a sanctions investigator within the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

His sanctions-related experience at OFAC includes his work on the Russia sanctions program, which resulted in the imposition of sanctions on hundreds of individuals and entities.

Prior to joining OFAC, Gustavo worked for 13 years in the financial technology (FinTech) sector, focusing on digital transformation.

Gustavo holds a master’s degree from Florida International University and a bachelor’s degree from Babson College.

John Florio

Global Investigations Division, FinCEN

John Florio is a Washington, DC-based Office Director within FinCEN’s Global Investigations Division, overseeing FinCEN’s illicit finance investigations with respect to the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Eurasia.

He previously served as a Senior International Policy Advisor within FinCEN’s Strategic Operations Division.

Prior to joining FinCEN, John spent several years in New York City as Director, Head of U.S. Sanctions Training for a major European banking conglomerate. He had previously spent nearly a decade in intelligence, policy, liaison, and diplomatic roles for the component offices of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, including at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels and at U.S. Southern Command in Miami, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal.

John has undergraduate degrees in economics and French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a master’s degree in international relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Castor Álvarez Ortiz

ACADEMIC TRAINING

Graduated in Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, with Master’s studies in Tax Law and Taxes at the Universidad Panamericana, as well as a Specialty in International Taxes at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM).

WORK CAREER

He has worked for 34 years in the Federal Government and the last 27 years in the Tax Administration Service in legal areas in charge of carrying out the legal defense of various areas of said deconcentrated body and in the General Administration of Large Taxpayers, participating in the design of applicable regulations in tax matters.

Currently, he works as Central Administrator of Legal Affairs of Vulnerable Activities of the General Administration of Federal Tax Audit of the SAT.

Mtro. Ramses Arturo Ruiz Cázares

Fiscalía General de la República

He currently serves as Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of Crimes involving Hydrocarbons, Copyright, Assault, and Vehicle Theft, a position he has held since January 2026.

From 2022 to 2025, he served as Federal Deputy Fiscal Prosecutor for Financial Affairs within the Federal Fiscal Prosecutor’s Office, a role he assumed in January 2022.

Previously, from 2018 to 2022, he served as Director General of Analysis for the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit.

Additionally, from 2009 to 2014, he held the position of Area Director within the Office of the Coordinator of Advisors for the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime Investigation (part of the then-Attorney General’s Office of the Republic). He has also served as an advisor to the Attorney General of the State of Guerrero, as well as Technical Secretary and Deputy Director General for Indictments and Trial Oversight at the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Electoral Crimes (part of the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic).

In the academic sphere, he is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Financial Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He holds a Master’s degree in National Security Intelligence from the School of National Security Intelligence (part of the former Center for Research and National Security) and a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Tec de Monterrey). He holds a Law degree from the UNAM Faculty of Law.

Furthermore, he holds an international certification as an Anti-Money Laundering Specialist from the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and a certification in Cryptocurrency Fundamentals from Chainalysis. He has also received specialized training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Héctor Mares Gallegos

Director General de Asuntos Normativos e Internacionales

Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, México

Héctor Mares Gallegos is a Mexican public servant and lawyer with extensive experience in financial intelligence, money laundering prevention, combating the financing of illicit activities, and international cooperation. He holds a law degree from Universidad Panamericana and a master’s degree in Constitutional Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Appointed Head of Delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and National Coordinator to the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT), he serves as Director General of Regulatory and International Affairs at the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, where he coordinates legal and regulatory matters, as well as public policy and international cooperation in the area of ​​financial intelligence.

Edgar Antonio Aquiahuatl Simón

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Law graduate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Law School. Holds a Master’s degree in Tax Law and Taxation from Universidad Panamericana, as well as a specialization in *Amparo* (constitutional protection) proceedings from the same university.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Has worked for eight years at the Tax Administration Service (SAT) in legal departments responsible for the legal defense of various areas within the agency, as well as in the Central Administration for Legal Support and Regulation of Large Taxpayers, where he participated in drafting applicable tax regulations.

Currently serves as the Administrator of Legal Affairs for Vulnerable Activities within the SAT’s Central Administration of Legal Affairs for Vulnerable Activities.

Guillermo Lagarda Cuevas

Knowledge & AML/CFT at the IDB

Experienced Economist and Researcher with a demonstrated history of working in decision making level at several Federal Government Agencies and in the higher education industry.

Skilled in Macroeconomics, International Economics, Public Finance, Economic Policy, Digital Economy, and Policy Analysis. Strong research professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Economics from Boston University. Recently, involved in Fintech, founder of NeritoPay and Nerito, novel startups for digital payments in Mexico and digital remittances from the USA

María Cecilia Alvarez Bollea

Senior Transparency and Integrity Specialist at the Inter-american Development Bank (IDB)

María Cecilia Alvarez Bollea is a Senior Transparency and Integrity Specialist in the Institutional Capacity of the State Division (IFD/ICS) at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). She is responsible for advancing the Bank’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) agenda and for providing strategic and technical guidance to IDB member countries on related policies and reforms. Her principal areas of leadership include risk assessments, beneficial ownership, and public-private partnerships in AML.

Before joining the IDB, she served as Senior Counsel in the Legal and Compliance Departments of AES Argentina and Pampa Energía and was a member of the Integrity Team at the United Nations Global Compact in New York.

She holds a law degree from the National University of Córdoba, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna, and an LL.M. from Fordham University School of Law in New York.

Eduardo Dondé de Teresa

Presidente de Fundación Dondé 

Harry Cupp

Senior Vice President, Sunwest Bank

Harry Cupp is Senior Vice President, BSA and OFAC Officer at Sunwest Bank, where he leads the bank’s anti-money laundering, sanctions compliance, and financial crimes risk management programs.

He also serves as Chair of the Financial & International Business Association’s (FIBA) AML Committee and Vice Chair of the FIBA Board of Directors.

Harry is an active industry leader who collaborates with regulators, financial institutions, and trade associations on emerging financial crime risks, compliance best practices, and responsible innovation in banking.

Alberto Delgado

Compliance Officer, Banco Pichincha

CFE, CAMS, AMLCA is the Compliance Officer for Banco Pichincha Miami Agency and has over 18 years of experience in the U.S. banking industry, working at both national and international financial institutions.

For the past 11 years, he has specialized in compliance with U.S. regulatory standards such as BSA/AML and OFAC. His professional background includes experience at JPMorgan Chase, regional banks in South Florida, and international banking through Banco Pichincha’s Miami branch. Alberto is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and holds anti-money laundering certifications from ACAMS and FIBA. He also serves on the FIBA ​​Board of Directors and chairs the FIBA ​​NextGen Advisory Board.

María Dolores González Sepúlveda

Especialista en análisis estratégico en temas de LD/FT

María Dolores González Sepúlveda has been an independent consultant since January 2019 specializing in money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment. She has developed risk methodologies for several financial institutions, including Nacional Financiera, UBS brokerage firm and UBS investment advisors, various non-bank financial institutions (SOFOMES ENR), MUFG Bank, Santander Openbank, Spin by Oxxo, KLU Fintech, and Aseguradora el Águila, among others.

An economist from ITAM and with a master’s degree in economics and business from ITESM, she is a specialist in strategic analysis on money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) issues and is certified by the CNBV (National Banking and Securities Commission) in AML/CFT. She teaches at ITAM in the diploma programs for obtaining CNBV certification in AML/CFT, as well as in the diploma program for implementing a Risk-Based Approach methodology for financial institutions. She also teaches in the Master’s program in Anti-Corruption Studies at UP (Universidad Panamericana).

María Dolores worked at the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) from May 2005 to December 2018 as Deputy Director General of Vulnerable Activities Analysis. She created the UIF’s strategic area in 2005, coordinated the First National Risk Assessment in 2016, and was responsible for providing feedback on the quality of reports from entities subject to the AML/CFT regime. She also oversaw the first two sectoral risk assessments of financial institutions and DNFBPs.

From 1985 to 2004, she was a full-time professor in the Economics program at the University of Panama (UP).

Sylvia Ramírez Jiménez

Group Compliance Manager | Directora de Cumplimiento México – Codere

Sylvia Ramírez Jiménez is a professional specializing in compliance, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT), risk management, and corporate governance, with over 20 years of experience in financial institutions and sectors subject to obligations regarding “Vulnerable Activities.”

She currently serves as Group Compliance Manager and Compliance Director for Mexico at Codere, where she coordinates the implementation, oversight, and strengthening of corporate mechanisms for compliance, AML/CFT, risk management, due diligence, control assessment, corporate integrity, training, and the handling of regulatory requirements.

She holds specialized certifications in AML/CFT for financial institutions and Vulnerable Activities, as well as postgraduate training in compliance, risk management, fraud prevention, money laundering, blockchain, and fintech. Her professional practice focuses on adopting effective, measurable compliance models that align with international standards and a risk-based approach.

Gabriel Ibarra

Director of AML/CFT Strategy at Scotiabank Mexico

Gabriel Ibarra is a lawyer with over 20 years of experience in financial law, compliance, and risk management. He is currently the Director of AML/CFT Strategy at Scotiabank Mexico.

He previously worked at BBVA Mexico, where he served as Director of Compliance for Subsidiaries, leading AML/CFT programs for the group’s subsidiaries and managing strategic relationships with domestic and international authorities and banks. Prior to that, he held the position of Director of Risk at BBVA Mexico, overseeing AML/CFT regulations, sanctions, correspondent banking, and risk methodologies.

Before his career in banking, he worked at the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, where he was responsible for AML/CFT regulation and policy for the Mexican financial system, and practiced at prestigious law firms. He holds postgraduate qualifications in financial law and Fintech.

José Antonio Quesada Palacios

Socio de HLB MAAT ADVISORY, S.C.

Currently a Partner at HLB MAAT ADVISORY, S.C. (a firm providing tax, financial, and regulatory advisory services, where he guides the financial and regulatory practices); he devotes most of his time to Corporate Governance matters (Boards of Directors).

Former Vice President of Regulatory Policy at the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) (2019–2021).

Director of the Graduate School of Business (EGADE BS) at TEC de Monterrey, Santa Fe campus (2016–2018).

Worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1986 to 2017 (specializing in Financial Services).

Lead Partner for Clients and Markets (coordinating the firm’s 14 industry practices and its market-focused strategy).

Specialist in Corporate Governance, with an emphasis on US measures related to the Code of Best Corporate Practices (CMPC).

Advisor to various Boards of Directors, serving as Statutory Auditor (*Comisario*) for public and financial sector companies.

Specialist in SEC listing processes for foreign companies.

Worked in the Houston, Texas office (Financial Sector group), collaborating with Texas Commerce Bank (now JPMorgan Chase), GBM International, and Euromex, and advising companies on derivatives management.

Worked in the Stamford, Connecticut national office on projects involving the listing of foreign companies on US capital markets (under SEC rules).

Other professional and leadership activities

Currently President of the National College of Independent Professional Corporate Directors (CNCPIE).

Treasurer of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE).

President of the IMEF Research Foundation (2015–2017). Chairman of the COPARMEX National Corporate Social Responsibility Committee (2014–2016).

Chairman of the Board Members Subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Best Practices Committee at the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) (2013–2016).

National President of IMEF, A.C. (2012).

Visiting professor at Anáhuac University, teaching in the Master’s program in Banking and Credit—a joint initiative with the University of Cantabria and Banco Santander Central Hispano (2008–present).

Currently teaches at Universidad Panamericana – Bosque Real Campus (Law School).

Has taught Corporate Governance at EGADE Business School (ITESM).

Has taught Financial Analysis at the undergraduate level for ten consecutive years at the UNAM Faculty of Accounting and Administration (FCA). From 1993 to 1995, served as a professor at Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City), teaching Intermediate Accounting, Cost of Capital, Corporate Finance, Analysis and Interpretation of Financial Statements, and Financial Mathematics.

Eloisa Cadenas

 
Eloisa Cadenas is one of Latin America’s leading authorities on financial innovation, digital assets, and fintech regulation. With more than 14 years of experience in the digital asset ecosystem, she has been a pioneer in advancing the industry’s development across the region, leading initiatives in blockchain infrastructure, tokenization, stablecoins, and financial innovation. In 2026, she received the prestigious Woman in Finance LATAM – Excellence in Innovation award. She was also recognized as one of The Fintech Times’ Rising Women in Crypto and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2021 for her pioneering contributions to the development of digital assets in Mexico.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of Arkángeles, a regulated fintech company in Mexico; Co-Founder of PXO, the first Mexican peso-backed stablecoin; founder of Cryptofintech, a consulting firm specializing in tokenization and digital asset projects; and Coordinator of the Fintech Commission at Top Compliance. Throughout her career, she has led and advised numerous initiatives involving asset tokenization, blockchain infrastructure, digital asset issuance, stablecoins, and fintech business models for both public and private sector organizations. She also completed doctoral studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Her career bridges the private sector, academia, and financial regulation. She is a member of the Mexican Academy of Digital Law and currently teaches in UNAM’s Financial Engineering Specialization Program. She has worked with and delivered executive training for leading regulators and government institutions, including Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Organization of American States (OAS), Chile’s Financial Analysis Unit (UAF), and the Association of Banking Supervisors of the Americas (ASBA), focusing on financial regulation, compliance, and digital asset innovation.

As an international keynote speaker, she has participated in some of the world’s most influential fintech and digital asset conferences, including events organized by Google, BBVA, and Binance, as well as leading industry conferences such as LaBitConf, Blockchain Economic London, and NFT Istanbul. She has spoken in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador. Her work has been featured by international media including Forbes, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, BBC Mundo, El Mercurio, El Financiero, Expansión, and El Economista. She is also the author of publications for Fortune México, co-author of specialized books on digital assets, and the author of peer-reviewed research published in the International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, establishing her as one of Latin America’s most recognized voices in financial innovation and the digital economy.

Omar Flores Fonseca

Omar Flores holds a degree in Business Administration from UAM and a Master’s degree in Business & Technology from The Collective Academy.

With a successful career spanning over 30 years in the financial sector, Omar Flores Fonseca has worked as a corporate banker for BBVA and Citibank, specializing in professional markets and Securities Services. Building on more than 15 years of experience, he subsequently served as Regional AML Vice President for Latin America at Citibank. He was later appointed Director of AML (Anti-Money Laundering) for the entire BBVA Mexico financial group and, more recently, served as Director of Customer Compliance and Financial Markets & Sustainability, where he led the financial group’s Sustainability and Anti-Greenwashing unit.

Omar Flores served as co-coordinator of the ABM (Mexican Banking Association) Compliance Committee and acted as coordinator for Mexican banks—serving as a liaison with U.S. banks—during the public-private binational meeting on financial crime issues.

He currently serves as Director of Financial Crimes at BanBajío, overseeing the AML and Fraud Prevention divisions.

Jamie Mickelson 

Managing Director
Investigations, Diligence and Compliance

Jamie is a Managing Director in the Investigations, Due Diligence, and Compliance practice at Kroll in Mexico. She is an American attorney with nearly two decades of experience managing complex investigations. She has worked with banks, financial intelligence units, prosecutors, and other government agencies in the United States and Latin America.

Before joining Kroll, Jamie spent nearly fifteen years at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a federal prosecutor. She investigated complex crimes, including fraud, corruption, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering. She has trial experience in U.S. federal courts in cases involving conspiracy, money laundering, fraud, and drug trafficking. Jamie has worked in Latin America for nearly a decade. She served as DOJ Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, where she coordinated international investigations and extraditions from Colombia to the United States and represented the DOJ in diplomatic relations. She also served as DOJ Legal Advisor at the U.S. Embassies in Guatemala and Mexico, where she advised public prosecutors, judges, analysts, and investigators on best practices in complex investigations, combating transnational organizations, and litigation skills.

Jamie began her career as a litigation attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked on civil litigation matters. She clerked for Judge Rebecca Beach Smith at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Jamie is fluent in English and Spanish.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

•Fraud, Corruption, and Money Laundering Investigations: As a federal prosecutor in the U.S., Jamie led investigations into fraud, money laundering, and corruption, working with U.S. agencies such as the FBI, IRS, and DEA, including investigations involving public officials and employees of banks and companies across various sectors.
•Transnational Criminal Organization Investigations: As DOJ Attaché in Colombia, Jamie oversaw bilateral investigations of members of some of the most powerful criminal organizations in Latin America, including the Gulf Clan, FARC, and ELN. In 2022, Jamie coordinated the extradition of the leader of the Gulf Clan from Colombia to the United States to face conspiracy and drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court.

Ross Weingarten

Partner Steptoe

Ross Weingarten, a Partner in our New York office, is an experienced trial, white-collar criminal defense and regulatory investigations lawyer. He has led numerous high-stakes investigations and prosecutions across various sectors, showcasing his experience in handling complex legal matters.

Ross served for more than seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the District of Connecticut and before that in the Northern District of California. Throughout his tenure, he developed a robust portfolio of high-profile cases, including accounting fraud, investor fraud, healthcare fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, insider trading, market manipulation, bank fraud, and money laundering. He also tackled cases involving narcotics trafficking, violent crime, firearms offenses, sex trafficking, terrorism, and other federal offenses. Notably, Ross has been at the forefront of investigating fraud schemes involving digital assets and the misuse of artificial intelligence by Silicon Valley start-ups. During his time as an AUSA, he held leadership positions in both districts, including the Narcotics/Opioids coordinator and Grand Jury coordinator in the NDCA, as well as heading the Fairfield County Fraud Task Force in the District of Connecticut. He has also delivered numerous trainings and participated in many panels regarding the work and priorities of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Ross has significant experience investigating and prosecuting frauds related to emerging technologies such as digital currencies and artificial intelligence. He has charged and resolved numerous fraud cases involving cryptocurrency or machine learning and has collaborated closely with the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section on many of these cases. Some of these prosecutions have involved computer intrusions, spear phishing campaigns, ransomware attacks, and cryptocurrency social engineering schemes.

Ross has first-chaired or co-first chaired multiple jury trials to verdict. His notable achievements include securing a guilty plea from the founder of a billion-dollar software startup involved in accounting and investor fraud, prosecuting a multimillion-dollar nationwide contract fraud and kickback scheme, and leading the prosecution of a doctor involved in illegal opioid prescriptions and healthcare fraud.

Prior to his role as an AUSA, Ross was an associate at a multinational firm, where he represented global financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and high-profile individuals in white-collar criminal litigation, complex civil, antitrust, and bankruptcy. He also has significant experience in pro bono work that includes criminal, civil, and immigration matters. Ross clerked for the Honorable Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

He earned his JD with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013 and his BA from Vassar College in 2007.

Representative Matters

• Led a RICO investigation into a national gang with a chapter in Connecticut that was responsible for multiple homicides, attempted murders, robberies, kidnappings, and large-scale narcotics trafficking.
• Led a multi-jurisdictional prosecution of several defendants for a violent kidnapping related to a cryptocurrency extortion scheme.
• Investigated and prosecuted a complex multimillion-dollar contract fraud and kickback scheme involving multiple national retailers.
• Obtained a guilty plea for an accounting and investor fraud from the founder of a billion-dollar software start-up.
• Prosecuted a doctor for crimes related to opioid prescriptions and healthcare fraud, resulting in a conviction and prison sentence.

Bar & Court Admissions

• New York
• District of Columbia

Speaking Engagements

• “New DOJ Data Rules Are Coming — Is Your Organization Prepared?,” Data Under Watch: Navigating DOJ’s New Rules on Sensitive US Data Transfers, Guidepost Solutions and Steptoe, June 26, 2025

Clerkships

• Judicial Clerk, Hon. Amit Mehta, US District Court for the District of Columbia, 2016
• Law Clerk, US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, 2012-2013

Education

• J.D., University of Texas School of Law, High Honors, 2013
• B.A., Vassar College, History, 2007

Mariana Pendás Fernández

Partner Steptoe

Mariana Pendás Fernández advises multinational companies and financial institutions on US and European economic sanctions, export controls,anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption compliance, as well as related investigations and cross-border disputes. As a dual-qualified lawyer across the US and Europe, she brings a rare combination of civil-and common-law experience, multilingual capabilities, and deep regulatory knowledge to matters involving some of the world’s most complex and sensitive jurisdictions.

Mariana regularly counsels clients on international regulatory compliance, including US, EU, and Swiss sanctions regimes and global export control requirements. Her work includes guiding companies through compliance obligations affecting day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives, assisting with license applications and regulatory requests, and advising on transactions and commercial activities involving highly regulated or sanctioned jurisdictions. She also helps clients navigate overlapping and sometimes conflicting legal regimes, including US sanctions laws and local regulatory requirements.

A significant portion of Mariana’s practice focuses on advising financial institutions and multinational companies on compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Bank Secrecy Act, and anti-money laundering (AML) laws. She frequently leads complex, cross-border internal and government investigations involving alleged corruption, financial crime, and sanctions violations, including matters spanning Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Mariana also advises on sanctions, AML, and anti-corruption risk in the context of mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, including conducting pre-acquisition due diligence for global investment groups and financial sponsors.

In addition to her regulatory and investigations practice, Mariana has significant experience in international arbitration. Before joining Steptoe, she worked in international arbitration practices in Paris and Madrid, where she represented clients in commercial disputes before the International Chamber of Commerce and other arbitral institutions, as well as in Spanish national court and arbitration proceedings. Her arbitration experience informs her approach to sanctions-related contractual disputes and cross-border enforcement risk.

Mariana has been consistently recognized by leading legal directories and publications for her work in international trade,sanctions, investigations,

and international arbitration, and she maintains an active pro bono practice focused on asylum representation and cultural exchange initiatives involving Cuba.

Representative Matters

• Provides day-to-day sanctions compliance counseling to maritime industry participants, including port agencies andmaritime logistics providers, vessel operators, charterers, shipping and logistics companies, and Advises on real-time compliance decision-making in response to rapidly evolving US and EU sanctions regimes.
• Advises participants across the energy, commodities, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, logistics, andtransportation sectors on designing, implementing, and enhancing sanctions, export controls, anti-money laundering (AML), and anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance programs. Focuses on agile frameworks responsive to fast-changing multilateral sanctions and US unilateral sanctions.
• Represents US and non-US financial institutions in complex, multiagency investigations involving alleged sanctions, AML,and related regulatory violations, including matters involving voluntary self-disclosures to US authorities.
• Leads Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and anticorruption investigations across Mexico and Latin America, representing multinational companies in the manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, transportation, consumer goods, and financial services sectors. Conducts cross-border internal and government investigations, including data and documentreviews and witness interviews in Spanish and
• Advises companies on allegations involving improper payments and benefits, including matters involving third-party agents and intermediaries, customs brokers, distributors, charitable contributions, gifts, and hospitality, particularly in Mexico and other Latin American jurisdictions.
• Advises boards of directors, audit committees, and senior management on governance, oversight, disclosure, and remediation obligations arising from FCPA and anticorruption investigations.
• Represents clients in voluntary self-disclosures to US authorities, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC),the Department of Justice, and other Negotiates favorable outcomes, including declinations, no-action letters, and reduced- or no-penalty resolutions.
• Represents non-US financial institutions, insurers, and multinational companies in responding to requests for information, subpoenas, and informal regulatory inquiries. Focuses on mitigating enforcement risk, preventing escalation to formal actions, and reducing collateral consequences, including private litigation exposure and correspondent banking impacts.
• Advises multinational manufacturers and exporters on maintaining risk-based sanctions and export controls complianceprograms, including navigating conflicts of law arising from blocking statutes and other extraterritorial measures in the EU, Switzerland, and other jurisdictions.
• Advises US and multinational industrial and heavy equipment manufacturers on emerging and escalating sanctions andcorruption risks, including compliant market reentry as sanctions regimes are lifted, eased, or modified.
• Represents clients before OFAC and the US Department of State in delisting and licensing matters, including securing the delisting of designated vessels and individuals.
• Advises non-US companies on managing primary and secondary sanctions exposure in cross-border transactions,financings, and strategic acquisitions, including matters involving investments in Venezuela and continued or wind-down operations in Russia.
• Advises clients on sanctions, trade controls, and anticorruption considerations in connection with mergers,acquisitions, financings, and restructurings, including due diligence, remediation, and post-closing compliance integration.

Bar & Court Admissions

• District of Columbia
• New York
• Spain

Noteworthy

• Legal 500 US, Leading Associate – International Litigation (2023–2025)
• Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Litigators for International Arbitration and International Litigation, including Global Trade matters (2024–2025)
• Lawdragon, 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in South America for International Trade, Investigations, Regulation, and International Arbitration (2025, 2026)
• Latinvex, Top 100 Female Lawyers – International Trade (2019–2025)
• Latinvex, Rising Legal Star – International Trade (2018)

News & Publications

• “US Treasury Seeks Public Comment on the Implementation of the GENIUS Act,” Financial Innovation & Regulation, Co-Author, Nov. 10, 2025
• “Guide to Monitorships: Succeeding Across a Monitor’s Audiences,” Global Investigations Review, Co-Author, April 2022
• “Russia Sanctions and Considerations in Building a Sanctions Compliance Programme,” Journal of Financial Compliance, Summer 2021
• “Trump Administration Follows Through on Plans to Tighten Cuban Sanctions,” LexBlog, Author, June 6, 2019
• “White House Hints It May Allow Lawsuits Over Cuban-Confiscated Properties,” LexBlog, Author, 24, 2019
• “TPP and Investor-State Dispute Settlement: An Intertwined Spectrum of Options for Investors?,” Global Trade and Customs Journal, Co-Author, 2016

Speaking Engagements

• “Trump 2.0: What a New Trump Administration Means to White Collar and Corporate Criminal Enforcement,” HispanicNational Bar Association 2025 Corporate Counsel Conference, Co-Panelist, 20, 2025
• “Value and Challenges of Sanctions and the Risks of Doing Business in the Region,” FIBA AML Conference 2024, Co-Panelist, Mar. 18, 2024
• “Newly Emerging High-Risk Jurisdictions: Best Practices to Identify & Mitigate Risk in China, Latin America, UAE,Oman, Turkey, and the Former Soviet Union,” ACI Women in Sanctions Network Webinar, Co-Presenter, Oct. 25, 2023
• “Cuba 2023 – Navigating Opportunities in the Current Business and Regulatory Environment,” Fireside Chat with the US Department of State, Moderator, May 5, 2023
• “Complying with OFAC Sanctions,” FIBA LATAM FINCRIME Conference, Co-Panelist, 6, 2022

Education

• M., New York University School of Law, International Business Regulation, Litigation & Arbitration
• M., College of Europe, European Law
• JD equivalent, University of Oviedo and UNED, Spain
• Bachelor and Master in Law (Swiss Juriste), University of Fribourg, cum laude

Languages

• French
• Spanish

Fernanda Cruz

Oficial de Cumplimiento en Spin by OXXO

Ma. Fernanda Cruz Andrew has over 14 years of experience in the financial sector, spanning both traditional banking and financial technology (FinTech) institutions; she specializes in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and fraud prevention.

She is certified by the CNBV as a Compliance Officer and holds the international CAMS certification.

She currently serves as the Compliance Officer at Spin by OXXO, where she leads AML/CFT compliance efforts, achieving results that position the entity as a benchmark for compliance in this field.

Her experience includes designing financial crime prevention units, implementing technological tools, and leading projects to obtain IFPE licenses.

Christian Carreón Álvarez

Director de Riesgos
Consubanco

He completed his professional studies at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), earning a degree as a Public Accountant between 1994 and 1999. He also obtained a Master’s degree in Finance from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in 2003.

After working at the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) from 1998 to 2001, he joined the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP). There, he held various positions—including Deputy Director General of Financial Analysis and International Liaison—within the Banking, Securities, and Savings Unit until 2012. From 2012 to 2025, he served as Corporate Director of Compliance and Risk at CIBanco.

He currently oversees the risk, compliance, and internal audit areas at Consubanco.

Throughout his career in both the public and private sectors, he has participated in and coordinated various working groups within international organizations such as the FATF, AFI, NAFTA, and the G20.

Notably, he represents Consubanco on the UNIFIMEX committee dedicated to the prevention of illicit financial activities.