Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Friday issued the following statement on the jury’s verdict in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which found Carlos and Jemima Guimarães guilty of one count of international parental kidnapping:

“The verdict in this case underscores the extremely serious nature of international parental child abduction. I hope that the grandparents will now work to bring about the reunification of Dr. Brann with his son Nico, rather than continue to destroy this family. I also call on the State Department to fully implement all the tools of the law that I authored, the Sean and David Goldman Act International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act, including sanctions against Brazil, for Brazil’s continued retention of this abducted American child.”

Carlos and Jemima Guimarães remain under house arrest while awaiting sentencing. They were convicted for their role in helping their daughter abduct her child Nicolas, “Nico,” to Brazil.

They were found guilty under 8 U.S.C. § 1204.  According to the statute, “[w]hoever removes a child from the United States, or attempts to do so, or retains a child (who has been in the United States) outside the United States with intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.”