US federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, who presided over the case against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has died in the United States. He was 92, infohub.kz reports.
The press service of the federal court for the Southern District of New York confirmed Hellerstein's death to reporters. "Yes, that is correct," the office said when commenting on the news of the judge's passing.
Hellerstein was appointed to the bench in 1998. Over the course of his career he handled a series of high-profile cases, including litigation related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
During the most recent hearing in the Maduro case, held on October 15, Hellerstein moved with the aid of a cane and spoke very quietly, according to the report.
Recall that explosions rang out in Caracas overnight on January 3. Donald Trump subsequently said the US had carried out large-scale strikes and that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and taken out of the country along with his wife.
Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would temporarily assume the duties of president. The trial of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the US will begin on June 1, 2027, the New York court said.
Maduro recently sent his family photographs from prison. In September, Maduro and Cilia Flores asked the judge on Wednesday to dismiss drug-trafficking charges against them. In early October, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were hit with new charges in the US.