Julio Cesar Aguirre, Attempted Carjacking, Arizona 2025

TUCSON, Ariz. – A federal grand jury in Tucson returned a five-count indictment against Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, of Mexico, for Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death, Use or Carrying of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence Causing Death, Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien, Reentry of a Removed Alien, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

The first two counts carry a maximum penalty of life in prison or death.

According to court filings, Aguirre shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm caliber handgun, while attempting to carjack the victim’s Toyota Tundra on the morning of June 30, in Tucson, Arizona.

Shortly after the attempted carjacking, Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers found Aguirre hiding in a nearby shed. Aguirre, a Mexican citizen, who was previously removed from the United States in 2013, was living in the country illegally at the time of the shooting. When he was arrested, TPD officers discovered a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach. As a convicted felon and as an illegal alien, Aguirre was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

“The focus in this case should be on the senseless loss of the victim and the pain that loss creates for his family and friends. Our criminal laws exist to protect our community, and the United States has an obligation to enforce those laws,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine.

The federal prosecution of this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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