I don't know that much about this but most countries will honor the divorce and custody agreements from another country. I know the U S recognizes the ex's Chinese marriage.

You really should contact a U S atty. who handles family law only and see if they can give you any information. You should check with several attys. to make sure you hear the same thing.

Did you not put a clause in your divorce decree that she is not to take them out of the U S without your approval?

Also you might call the American Embassy in Colombia and see if they can give you any information. It might not be possible to do what you want.

Below is a site by the U.S. Department of State that deals with child snatching by parents. Please read it all. You may be surprised that the Hague Convention so often referenced is not an extradition treaty, but a civil remedy for abduction.

http://travel.state.gov/abduction/resources/resources_545.html

Read the entire site and it gives you some things you can do now. But nothing is 100 percent and you have to understand that.

A regular family law attorney cannot provide you with information on Columbian law and custody disputes with parents.

Actually, it would have been worth it to pay a specialized attorney to get involved while you were in the divorce to hammer out a very specialized agreement while you were divorcing and set out specifics that would give you traction in Columbia if she took off with the children and stayed there with them. Good luck.

have no idea.. just wanted to say don't delay getting the protection you need. When dealing with other countries, man, it can really turn things upside down if you are not protected by the laws of both countries.

best of luck and continue to search for your way.

I also found this out:

"Colombia

The Hague Abduction Convention entered into force in Colombia in 1996. According to the Convention Compliance Reports, Colombia ranks as one of the top ten destinations for the abduction of children from the United States. It has also been cited several times as a country demonstrating "patterns of noncompliance," being totally "noncompliant" and a "country of concern". In cases involving the Abduction Convention, recent legislation by the Colombian Congress has placed jurisdiction with the family courts. In remote areas of the country where there are no family courts, Hague Convention cases are heard by civil court circuit judges. While Colombian courts can recognize or enforce U.S. custody orders, they generally refuse to do so and Colombian court orders prevail over foreign court orders.[citation needed] Colombian courts favor parents of Colombian nationality and it is very rare for a court in Colombia to grant custody to a parent residing in the U.S. when there is a parent residing in Colombia.

International parental abduction is covered in the Colombian Penal Code as kidnapping, with circumstances that can increase or reduce the punishment. Colombia does not consider international parental kidnapping as an extraditable offense.

In contrast to United States requirements, a Colombian passport for a minor child can be obtained with only one parent's consent, though Colombia restricts the departure of Colombian children from the country when they are not in the company of both parents. Although this prevents misuse of a Colombian passport to abduct children from Colombia it facilitates abductions from countries like the United States who have no exit controls. If a parent wishes to prevent the issuance of a Colombian passport to their minor child, they must submit a request to the Ministerio de la Proteccion Social, Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF). If the ICBF concurs with the parent's request, it will notify the Colombian passport office and Colombian Embassies and Consulates to place a hold on the issuance of a passport to the minor child. Parents may only submit a request through ICBF, not through a Colombian Embassy or Consulate.[34][35

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_child_abduction_in_the_United_States

Thank you all - I need a lawyer in Miami or Colombia that can handle this and believe it's called a exequatur in Colombia and needs to be registered the supreme court.

I have read about Colombia and their history of non compliance which is why I need the divorce registered down there.

I do have it in the agreement that she can only take one child to Colombia at this time - I hold the passports.

That she has to help in anyway registering the divorce in Colombia. Thats all in the agreement.

I just need to find a lawyer I can trust or get the embassy to reply or go there in person (the consulant) I have been told is the place I need to go to.

My family lawyer had no idea who to contact or go about the process.

Okay, I found the IAML site below that has attorneys handling international matrimonial cases and Bill Hilton (deceased) used to be a member and he was considered very knowledgeable on international child snatching and provided IAML with all sorts of material on it. Perhaps if you come up with someone on that site, if they don't handle it, they will know someone who will. I would like to see you make a connection with someone that will not only help you do what you want now, but help you later (I hope never), if you need it. Good luck.

http://www.iaml.org

Thanks - actually my lawyers firm one of the lawyers there - is actually the president of that counsel and she provided me with some recommendations but all of them have not gotten back to me.

I am thinking to go directly to the Colombian Embassy.

In case you don't have it, here is the Columbia Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Columbian Consulate Generals around the U.S.

http://embassy-finder.com/colombia_in_usa

Keep in mind that many require appointments and with some you don't get to just walk in (particularly with terrorism threats as they are).

Forgot to mention, there is an e-mail address on the "details" section of the Columbian Embassy in Washington. You may want to e-mail to see if you get a response first and perhaps a translator will get to it and be able to respond to you.

Under the comments on the Columbian Embassy in Washington, there is one in what appears to be Spanish and I believe it is saying it was difficult to understand the people at the Columbian Embassy. So language may be another barrier you have.

Thanks - I am wondering if anyone has ever had to go through this route before?

Meaning go to an embassy or consulate to file a divorce?

Anyone out there?

Thanks

Also, I have sent both the embassy and consulate several emails - this has been going on for about a month - and no response from them. I was able to get through to the embassy and they told me that the consulate handles these things - I called the consulate and they only have a messaging service. Let messages and emails with them with read receipts etc.

I will probably just go there and see what happens.