WASHINGTON D.C. – Four individuals are facing federal charges after a protracted standoff at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C. Kevin Bruce Zeese, 64, Margaret Ann Flowers, 57, Adrienne Pine, 49, and David Vernon Paul, 70, made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court today, accused of obstructing federal law enforcement and interfering with the U.S. Department of State’s protective functions.
The quartet was arrested after refusing to leave the embassy following a formal trespass notice delivered by the Diplomatic Security Service on May 13, 2019. An arrest warrant had been issued on May 15, 2019, stemming from their occupation of both the Venezuelan Embassy and the Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the Organization of American States, which began April 10, 2019. The group, comprised of members from Code Pink, the Embassy Protection Collective, and the Popular Resistance, had illegally occupied the premises for over a month.
The situation escalated following the U.S. recognition of Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela in January 2019. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo officially acknowledged Guaidó, and Carlos Alfredo Vecchio was subsequently accredited as Chargé d’Affaires of the Venezuelan Embassy. Vecchio formally requested U.S. law enforcement assistance on April 26, 2019, to remove unauthorized individuals from the embassy grounds. The Department of State asserts the defendants’ continued presence directly interfered with maintaining the security of the embassy and the Venezuelan mission.
According to the criminal complaint, the defendants knowingly and willingly obstructed, resisted, or interfered with federal agents engaged in performing the protective functions of the State Department Basic Authorities Act, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 118. The charges are directly tied to their refusal to vacate the premises after being officially notified of their trespassing status. The government maintains the actions of Zeese, Flowers, Pine, and Paul actively hindered the State Department’s ability to secure and protect the embassy.
During today’s hearing before Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, the defendants were released under various conditions, with a follow-up court date scheduled for June 12, 2019. It’s important to note that these are merely allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The statutory maximum penalty for a charge of Interference with Protective Functions of the Department of State remains unspecified.
The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops. The occupation of foreign embassies, while often framed as political protest, carries significant legal weight when it directly impedes the functioning of diplomatic security and U.S. foreign policy. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for future demonstrations near or within foreign diplomatic missions in the nation’s capital.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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