Nicolas Maduro is being held in a Brooklyn jail as he awaits trial on drug trafficking charges. (EPA Images pic)NEW YORK: Alvin Hellerstein, the US judge overseeing the case against deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, has died aged 92, an official said Wednesday.

As one of the oldest US federal judges, questions had been raised about whether he was the right justice to preside over what could be a prolonged trial for Maduro on drug trafficking charges.

Hellerstein's lengthy career included overseeing the civil cases arising from Al-Qaeda's Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, often rejecting deals he saw as unfair to complainants.

His death was confirmed by the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, where he presided. A court filing showed the case has been reassigned to Analisa Torres, born in 1959.