Judge in Maduro case dies seven months before trial begins
In New York, at the age of 92, Alvin Hellerstein, who considered the case of Nicolas Maduro, died. The court reported natural causes of death. The case will be transferred to another judge, the process was previously scheduled for June 2027
Federal Judge of the Southern District of New York Alvin Hellerstein, who heard the criminal case of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, died on the morning of October 28 at the age of 92 — about seven months before the scheduled start of the trial in June 2027. This is reported by Politico with reference to the representative of the court.
According to ABC News, the death came from natural causes shortly before Hallerstein's 93rd birthday (he was born on December 28, 1933).
Maduro's case, like the rest of Hellerstein's, will be handed over to another federal judge through random distribution, court spokesman Ed Friedland said. Who will continue the review until announced.
Hellerstein has served as a federal judge since 1998, when he was appointed by former President Bill Clinton. According to Politico, he received the case of one of Maduro’s future co-defendants back in 2011. Maduro himself was first charged in this proceeding in 2020.
The U.S. military captured the Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas on January 3, 2026, and took them to New York. Maduro was first charged with four charges, including conspiracy to commit drug terrorism and smuggling cocaine into the United States, as well as charges related to illegal possession of weapons. According to U.S. prosecutors, he and other Venezuelan leaders provided drug traffickers with protection and logistical support. Reuters reported in October that Maduro was charged with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens.
The couple first appeared in court on January 5. None of them pleaded guilty. Maduro said he was kidnapped and still considers himself president of Venezuela. Hellerstein at the beginning of the meeting stressed that he intends to ensure a fair trial.
One of the subjects of subsequent hearings was the payment of the defence. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, sought to dismiss the case, arguing that U.S. authorities violated his client’s right to legal aid by blocking the use of Venezuelan public funds to pay lawyers. Hellerstein rejected a request to close the case. Later, the U.S. Treasury allowed the couple’s lawyers to receive payments from the Venezuelan government.
In July, the court set the start of the trial for June 2027, and the hearing on pre-trial petitions for November 17, 2026. The defense said it would seek to halt production, including citing Maduro's immunity as head of a sovereign state.
