SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Four Cuban exiles pleaded innocent Thursday to charges that they plotted to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro, and one of their lawyers called the case hypocritical in light of alleged U.S.-sponsored assassination attempts.

The four were among seven exiles, including a director of the most influential Cuban exile group, indicted by a federal grand jury in San Juan on Tuesday.

Theirs is believed to be the first such court case after years of alleged plots against Cuba's Communist leader.

``Not guilty,'' said Angel Alfonso, 58; Angel Hernandez Rojo, 64; Juan Bautista Marquez, 62; and Francisco Cordova, 51. Alfonso is from Union City, N.J., and the other three are from South Florida.

They were freed on bail by the U.S. District Court.

It could be months before the case comes to trial. The FBI said more arrests and indictments are expected.

The case stems from the arrest of the four men off Puerto Rico on Oct. 27 after a search of their yacht revealed weapons that included two .50-caliber sniper rifles.

None of the defendants would comment after the arraignment. But Alfonso's lawyer, Ricardo Pesquera, called the charges ``the greatest hypocrisy of the United States government.''

``One of the things that we're going to be arguing is that since 1959 the government of the United States itself has condoned and instigated and financed numerous assassination attempts against Fidel Castro and other leaders,'' Pesquera said.

The three others who have been indicted are expected to appear in court next Wednesday to be formally charged. They are Jose Rodriguez Sosa, Alfredo Otero and Jose Antonio Llama.

In Washington, Attorney General Janet Reno was asked Thursday whether the indictment represented a change in U.S. policy. She said she was not aware of any change.

Llama's indictment was a blow to the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation, of which he is a director. Castro has accused the foundation of plotting to kill him, but the group says it is committed to peaceful political persuasion.