Tucson Carjacking Killer: Mexican National Faces Federal Charges

TUCSON, AZ – A brazen daylight carjacking turned deadly on June 30th, leaving one man dead and a 42-year-old Mexican national, Julio Cesar Aguirre, facing a trio of federal charges. Aguirre is accused of shooting and killing the driver of a Toyota Tundra in a desperate attempt to steal the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.

The incident unfolded rapidly. Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers, responding to reports of the shooting, quickly learned from witnesses that the suspect had fled the scene. The trail didn’t end there. Officers were soon directed to a nearby residence where residents reported a Hispanic male – matching Aguirre’s description and sporting a bleeding arm – had invaded their backyard, brandishing a firearm and demanding their vehicle. Aguirre fled before officers arrived, but was soon located hiding in a nearby storage shed.

Inside the shed, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach, the alleged murder weapon. Aguirre was taken into custody without further incident. Ballistics will confirm if this is the gun used in the carjacking and homicide. But the story doesn’t stop with the immediate arrest. A deeper dive into Aguirre’s background revealed a troubling pattern of immigration violations. He’s a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States, with a rap sheet stretching back to 2007. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times for immigration-related crimes and was last deported from the country in 2013 following a court order.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America, a sweeping federal initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting American communities. The operation leverages resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – a clear signal that federal authorities are taking a hard line on violent crime linked to border issues.

The investigation is a collaborative effort between the TPD and the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the federal charges against Aguirre: Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. Simultaneously, TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office are pursuing additional felony state charges, including homicide, ensuring Aguirre faces the full weight of the law.

Aguirre had his initial appearance in federal court today. It’s crucial to remember that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Julio Cesar Aguirre, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case Number: 25-MJ-06320-MAA. Release Number: 2025-110_Aguirre. For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow them on Twitter @USAO_AZ.