Politics
JUST IN: Clinton-Appointed Judge Assigned To Maduro Case
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has been assigned to preside over the criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Southern District of New York.
Hellerstein, 92, was nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and confirmed by the Senate that same year. He assumed senior status in 2011 but continues to handle cases actively.
Over his career, Hellerstein has presided over several notable matters. He managed the consolidation of thousands of civil lawsuits related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, overseeing compensation claims for victims and families. He also handled aspects of litigation involving film producer Harvey Weinstein and cases connected to Venezuelan officials, including proceedings related to former general Hugo Carvajal.
In cases involving policies of President Donald Trump, Hellerstein issued rulings that limited certain executive actions. In 2025, he blocked the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations of Venezuelan nationals suspected to be members of gangs designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.
The judge cited due process concerns in blocking the order, which grants the president expanded powers to deport illegal aliens suspected to belong to foreign criminal or terrorist organizations.He also halted deportations of individuals involved in protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, ruling the application of emergency powers unlawful.
In addition, he denied initial requests from Trump’s legal team to move the controversial “hush money” New York state criminal conviction to federal court, though an appeals court later remanded the matter for further review.
Judge Hellerstein was first appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998
The superseding indictment against Maduro, unsealed on January 3, 2026, charges him, his wife Cilia Flores, his son Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, and three others with narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons.
The charges allege that Maduro and co-defendants facilitated the shipment of large quantities of cocaine into the United States over more than two decades, in partnership with various drug trafficking organizations.
If convicted, the narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy counts each carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The weapons-related counts carry a maximum of life imprisonment as well, with potential mandatory minimum terms depending on the specifics.
Maduro’s initial court appearance for arraignment is scheduled for Monday, January 5, 2026, at noon in Manhattan federal court.
