Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who presided over the case against Maduro in the U.S., has died

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who presided over the case involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores (who are being held in a New York jail), passed away this Wednesday at the age of 92, according to local media reports.

As reported by The New York Times, his death was confirmed by Ed Friedland, executive director for the Southern District of New York, where Hellerstein had served for nearly three decades.

Hellerstein, who would have turned 93 on December 28, reportedly died of natural causes, according to ABC News.

In 1998, he was appointed by former President Bill Clinton as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

In that capacity, he has presided over a large number of federal cases, including litigation related to the September 11, 2001, attacks and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners of war by U.S. soldiers at the Abu Ghraib detention center.

ℹ️ Content Notice: This text is an English translation and factual adaptation of news events, edited for clarity, neutrality and objective reporting.
Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN