U.S. District Judge in New York Alvin Hellerstein presided over the initial hearing for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This step opens a judicial path that had been suspended for six years, since the U.S. indictment was first brought against Maduro in 2020, before he managed to evade arrest throughout that period. The case, which involves Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, is one of the most prominent in his nearly three-decade-long judicial career. The 92-year-old Judge Hellerstein, during his years of service, has overseen a number of high-profile cases, including those related to former U.S. President Donald Trump and the 9/11 attacks.
