U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was overseeing the case against Venezuela’s deposed socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro in Manhattan, died on Wednesday, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced.

Judge Hellerstein, 92, had been appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1998. Throughout his career, he oversaw other high-profile cases including trials related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack and trials involving President Donald Trump and his policies. Hellerstein, born in December 1933, died of natural causes weeks before what would have been his 93rd birthday.

Over the past months, Hellerstein oversaw the ongoing trial proceedings against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, “first combatant” Cilia Flores, on multiple drug trafficking charges — with new charges being brought forward this month, accusing the pair of heading a state-sponsored system of repression that led to the torture of numerous victims throughout Maduro’s rule, including the torture of several American citizens. Maduro and Flores both pleaded not guilty to the torture charges.

Hellerstein was slated to preside over the trial, which is slated to begin in mid-2027.

“Judge Hellerstein was an insightful and dedicated lawyer who, following a distinguished career in the private sector, served with distinction for over 25 years as a distinguished jurist of this court. He presided over the massive tort litigation arising from the September 11 attacks with sensitivity, fairness and efficiency, as well as many other high-profile matters,” Chief Judge Swain said in a Wednesday press advisory.

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“His energetic and dedicated service to this Court continued until his death. He is greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed. Our deepest sympathies are with his family at this sad time,” she continued.

Hellerstein was assigned to the drug trafficking case against Maduro in 2020, long before U.S. forces arrested the socialist dictator and his wife in a January 3, 2026, law enforcement operation in Caracas, Venezuela.

Per The Courthouse News Service, Hellerstein “appeared frail” from the bench when he denied a house arrest request presented by Cilia Flores’ defense attorneys. The late judge reportedly acknowledged that he had a “voice problem” that made it difficult for him to issue his oral ruling.

Hellerstein’s cases are expected to be randomly assigned to other Manhattan court judges. Following his passing, the drug trafficking and torture case against Maduro and Flores has been reportedly reassigned to  U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, who was appointed to the court by former President Barack Obama in January 2013. At press time, the trial against Maduro reportedly remains scheduled to begin in June 2027 as originally instructed by Judge Hellerstein. A pre-trial hearing had been already scheduled for December 17 prior to Judge Hellerstein’s passing.

“We were saddened to learn of Judge Hellerstein’s passing and offer our condolences to his family,” Nicolas Maduro’s defense said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.