Orthodox Jewish Judge Assigned to Maduro Trial in New York

Senior U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, a 92-year-old Orthodox Jew and one of the most senior active judges in the federal judiciary, has been assigned to preside over the Manhattan federal trial of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro.

The proceedings will take place in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, widely regarded as the most influential federal trial court in the United States. The assignment places a major international case under the supervision of a judge known for long experience with complex criminal and national security cases.

Hellerstein was appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and took senior status in 2011. Despite his age, he continues to hear major cases in Manhattan. Over the years, he has handled major cases, including terrorism-related lawsuits linked to the September 11 attacks and large criminal cases involving multiple defendants.

Hellerstein’s Orthodox Jewish background is rarely highlighted in mainstream court coverage, but it has long been known in Jewish and legal circles. A graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School who later served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he has openly observed Jewish law throughout his decades on the federal bench while maintaining a reputation for strict judicial independence and careful adherence to federal procedure.

The case against Maduro began with an indictment filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in March 2020, during the first Trump administration. Prosecutors accused him of running a criminal network involved in large-scale drug trafficking, claiming that cocaine produced along the Venezuela–Colombia border was moved through Central America and into the United States. The charges include drug trafficking conspiracies and weapons-related offenses.

According to the indictment, federal prosecutors argued that Maduro expanded his power by turning state institutions into tools for criminal activity, using military, judicial, and intelligence bodies to facilitate drug routes and protect trafficking networks.

Following Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces and his transfer to American custody, prosecutors released an updated version of the indictment. He was brought to New York yesterday, moving the long-running case back into active proceedings in Manhattan.

Some legal experts say prosecutors may have a hard time proving that the drug network was centrally run and that Maduro personally directed it. Even so, the case is expected to move forward through the normal federal court process.

Maduro and his wife could appear in Manhattan federal court as early as Monday, marking the start of formal court proceedings under Hellerstein’s supervision.