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2d ago

Judge Alvin Hellerstein Assigned to Maduro Narco-Terror Case After New York Arraignment

Prosecutors plan to leverage years of SDNY evidence and cooperating witnesses as the defense prepares challenges to the capture and jurisdiction.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein will preside over Nicolás Maduro's trial following his capture by US military.
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President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appear in a Manhattan courthouse on Monday
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Overview

  • Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in Manhattan on Monday.
  • Maduro was captured outside Venezuela, transferred to New York, and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
  • The SDNY case, rooted in a 2020 indictment, charges narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and machine-gun and destructive-device offenses, and also names family members and senior officials.
  • Hellerstein, 92, a veteran Clinton appointee known for handling complex, high-profile matters, has overseen related Venezuela cases and is noted for procedural rigor and independence.
  • Prosecutors are expected to call cooperating former officials, including ex-intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, while upcoming pretrial motions are likely to contest the legality of the capture, venue, and jurisdiction.