Associated Press

HOUSTON – The U.S. State Department has ordered a dozen officials at the Venezuelan consulate in Houston to leave the country after the South American government moved its offices in the city before receiving permission.

The officials have until Sunday to leave the United States, a State Department official told the Houston Chronicle for its Saturday editions.

The newspaper reported that the consular office was locked on Friday and a notice taped in the window said it would remain closed until further notice for reasons "beyond our control." A similar notice was posted on the consulate Web site on Saturday.

The expulsion stemmed from the Venezuelan Consulate's Aug. 2 request to move its Houston office to another location less than five miles away. According to international protocol, all foreign diplomatic missions in the U.S. must clear such moves with the State Department, which has 60 days to approve. Such requests are generally considered a formality.

On Sept. 18, although the State Department had not yet responded to the request, officials learned that the Houston office had a new address on the Web site of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, a senior State official told the Chronicle, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.

State Department officials then warned the Venezuelan government to stop operating out of the new office. However, in early October, the department learned that the consular office was still open.

On Oct. 31, State officials informed the Venezuelan government that it was revoking the visas, immunity and other diplomatic privileges of the 12 Venezuelan employees. That same day, the department approved the consulate's transfer to the new location.

Angelo Rivero Santos, the deputy chief of mission at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to answer questions from the newspaper about the Houston consular office.

In a statement, Rivero Santos said "the situation which occurred in the General Consulate of Houston is of a technical nature relating to consular rules; it is not political."

"The communication processes related to this mishap have already been improved. The Consulate is currently undergoing a transition process; we are working in conjunction with United States authorities in order to resume activities as soon as possible."

Antonio Padrino, the consul general in Houston, declined comment Friday. "I'm leaving the U.S. now and can't talk about the situation," he said.

Two American staffers will be allowed to work at the new location while Venezuela may transfer a diplomat already inside the U.S. to run the office, the State official said. A home country national must staff a consular office in order for it to operate.

This follows recent diplomatic strains between the two countries. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sept. 11 ordered U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave Venezuela. The next day, the State Department said it was expelling the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. Chavez accused Duddy of conspiring against the Venezuelan government, a charge U.S. officials deny.

An attempt by The Associated Press to reach the State Department by phone on Saturday was unsuccessful.