Who is Alvin Hellerstein? 92-year-old judge to preside over Nicolas Maduro case in Manhattan

Alvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old russian orthodox judaic adjudicate who was decreed to the union soldier court nearly three decades ago by Bill Clinton, will oversee the trial of Nicolas Maduro. The Venezuelan leader and his wife were captured on Saturday by US military forces while he was asleep in Caracas. He was later transported to the Brooklyn Detention Center to await his arraignment, which is set for Monday.

After learning that Hellerstein will oversee Maduro case, Trump said, “He is very respected.”

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Hellerstein, who was born in New York in 1933, served in the military prosecution service of the US Army, practiced law in the private sector, and was appointed as a federal judge for the Southern District of New York by then-President Bill Clinton in May 1998. He is recognized as one of the longest-serving judges currently in office.

Hellerstein, an alumnus of Columbia University School of Law, commenced his career as a clerk at the court he currently presides over. Throughout his professional journey, he has delivered well-reasoned judgments and is known for his impartiality, despite being a notable figure within the Jewish community, EL PAIS reported.

Last September, Hellerstein halted efforts to deport demonstrators who protested against Israel's war in Gaza, ruling that the proposed deportations were unlawful.

Hellerstein similarly prevented the same administration from deporting Venezuelans under the “Alien Enemies Act”, concluding that the law had been enforced unlawfully.

The judge is also overseeing the case against former Venezuelan General Hugo Armando "Pollo" Carvajal, who faces allegations of drug trafficking. Maduro's trial will heavily rely on the evidence of this former Chavista government intelligence chief who has decided to assist the authorities. In the same federal court in New York where the Venezuelan president is scheduled to stand trial, Carvajal entered a guilty plea to four crimes related to narcotics trafficking and narcoterrorism last summer.

Also Read: ‘Handcuffed and limping’, Nicolas Maduro and wife arrive in Manhattan for first court appearance after Trump's capture

Maduro, who was Venezuela’s president until early Saturday, was captured following what the report characterized as his capture by US Delta Force commandos. He is presently being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC), a facility that has faced ongoing criticism from judges, detainees, and human rights organizations regarding its conditions.

The indictment issued by the US Attorney General’s office charges the Venezuelan leader with four offenses: conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. These charges are also filed against his wife, his son, and two other senior officials in his administration.

The prosecution alleges that Maduro has illegally enriched himself during his tenure in various positions within the Venezuelan government and that he had intentions to inundate the US with drugs.

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