US judge handling Maduro’s drug trafficking case dies at 92

Alvin Hellerstein, the United States national justice overseeing the cause trafficking lawsuit against deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, has died astatine the property of 92, an authoritative confirmed connected Wednesday.

Hellerstein was among the oldest serving national judges successful the US, prompting questions astir his quality to preside implicit what could beryllium a lengthy proceedings involving Maduro, who faces cause trafficking charges.

During his judicial career, Hellerstein handled respective high-profile cases, including civilian lawsuits arising from the September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda attacks connected New York and Washington. He often rejected settlements helium considered unfair to the plaintiffs.

An authoritative of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, wherever Hellerstein served, confirmed his decease connected Wednesday.

The justice besides had ineligible confrontations with US President Donald Trump. He rejected Trump’s effort to transportation his New York hush wealth lawsuit from authorities to national court.

In 2025, Hellerstein besides blocked the Trump medication from deporting alleged Venezuelan pack members without giving them an accidental to look earlier a court.

Another notable determination came successful 2015, erstwhile helium ordered the US authorities to merchandise a postulation of photographs documenting the maltreatment of detainees successful Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hellerstein besides presided implicit a proceedings successful 2025 involving French banking elephantine BNP Paribas and its activities successful Sudan. A ju...