US Court Schedules Hearing In Venezuela Embassy Protectors Case For March 6 - Filing

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th February, 2020) A US Federal court has scheduled a hearing on March 6 for four American activists who were arrested while residing at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington as guests of the Maduro government and guarding the facility against an illegal takeover, court filings revealed on Friday.

"A Plea Agreement Hearing/Sentencing Hearing is scheduled for 3/6/2020, at 9:00 AM," said the document filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

On May 16 2018, the US Secret Service and State Department police arrested Margaret Flowers, Keven Zeese, Adrienne Pine and David Paul after raiding the Venezuelan embassy in Washington.

The authorities acted to seize the diplomatic facility and handed it over to representatives of the country's opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido.

The protectors began residing in the embassy as guests of the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro shortly after the US government asked Venezuelan diplomats to leave the United States.

Earlier in February, a federal judge declared a mistrial in their case following a hung jury, paving the way for the start of a new trial.

The US government does not recognize the Maduro government and has engaged in actions to force regime change in Venezuela.

Maduro has said Guaido is a US puppet and accused� the United States of using him to conduct a coup in Venezuela in order to control the country's vast natural resources.