WASHINGTON -- A Tampa mother is in Washington D.C., pleading with the U.S. government to help bring her kidnapped son home.

It's been 34 days since Rachelle Smith has seen her 4-year-old son, Dexter, who is at the center of a bitter custody battle.

Instead of waiting for the courts to settle the dispute, the boy's father Ali Salamey violated a court order and took the child to Lebanon, where they are staying with family.

“It is a true nightmare. It’s just indescribable, having to navigate through something like this," Smith said in an interview with Spectrum News in Washington, D.C.

After a trip to the State Department, she shared her story with lawmakers and met face-to-face with both Senators Marco Rubio (R) Florida and Bill Nelson (D) Florida.

"I’m trying to put political pressure on our government leaders to say ‘hey, we have a born and raised U.S. citizen and the father is a U.S. citizen, and he illegally obtained a passport for him. He has no reason to be over there. He needs to be home back in the United States," Smith said.

Both Rubio and Nelson have written letters to Lebanese officials asking for their cooperation in returning Dexter home, but because the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, this has become a major challenge.

Still, Smith said government officials are weighing all their options.

“It was very encouraging and very hopeful," Smith said following her meetings on Capitol Hill.

While Smith said she still has more questions than answers, she said she's making progress and staying optimistic.

“I believe Dexter will be returned home, and hopefully I can pave the way for other left behind parents that are going through this as well," she said.

Dexter’s father is a dual citizen, and while he’s considered a fugitive in the U.S., he isn’t technically breaking any laws in Lebanon.