Colombia Reports Three Citizens Detained in Saudi Arabia, Consular Aid Provided

The Colombian government has confirmed that three Colombian citizens remain detained in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that consular assistance has been provided to the individuals since last year and that authorities are working to ensure their rights and due process are upheld.

Families of the three Colombians have maintained consistent communication with Colombia's Consulate in Cairo and its embassy in Saudi Arabia. The ministry assured that all petitions submitted by the families have been promptly addressed.

Local media reports identify the detainees as engineers Héctor Eduardo Romero Ramírez, Luis Eduardo Romero Jiménez, and Mauricio Patiño Gallego. They reportedly traveled to Yemen in April 2025 to install satellite antennas for a U.S. company. After completing the project, they attempted to exit Yemen via Aden due to the closure of Sana'a airport but were detained by security forces.

According to these reports, the engineers' last communication with their families was on January 25 of this year. They were subsequently transferred to Abha prison in Saudi Arabia, where they are being held pending an investigation related to national security. However, Saudi authorities have not formally announced any charges against them.