Arizona | Feds bring charges against alleged Tucson carjacker, including 2 eligible for death penalty

Justice Dep't prosecutors rebuffed Pima County Attorney's Office as they pursued 5-count indictment

A Mexican man accused in a fatal carjacking was indicted on five counts by a federal grand jury Wednesday, including two that could result in life in prison or the death penalty. The case is at the center of a clash between the Pima County Attorney's Office and federal prosecutors.

The federal charges of attempted carjacking resulting in death and use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death are the most serious federal charges against Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, who was in the country without authorization when he allegedly shot and killed a 69-year-old-man during an attempted carjacking on June 30.

They carry a maximum penalty of life in prison or death, said a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney Office for Arizona on Wednesday.

Aguirre was arrested by Tucson police and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment from his injuries, including a police dog bite. However, as Pima County officials began to build a first-degree murder case against him, federal officials took Aguirre into custody and moved him to a facility in Pinal County. 

Earlier this month, Trump administration officials announced lesser charges against Aguirre, but refused to give his location to the Pima County Attorney's Office and limited their access to him.

Pima County Laura Conover said this move "gutted" her own case against Aguirre. On Tuesday, she said federal prosecutors were obstructing the case against Aguirre. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new federal charges on Wednesday evening.

Aguirre allegedly shot Ricky E. Miller Sr. on June 30 while attempting to steal a Toyota Tundra, part of a string of crimes reported that day.

On July 3, days before Conover went public with her criticism, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Arizona said they were filing charges against Aguirre, including attempted carjacking, use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and being an "alien in possession of a firearm."

In a prepared statement earlier in July, federal officials said Aguirre is a Mexican citizen and has been illegally present in the United States. He has been arrested more than 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for "immigration-related crimes," and was last removed from the country in 2013 under a court order.

As part of their earlier statement, federal officials said Aguirre's prosecution was part of Operation Take Back America, a Trump initiative which  "marshals the full resources" of Justice Department to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels" and "protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."

Conover has sought to end criminal punishment, and said her office "will not seek draconian punishments like the death penalty and juvenile life without parole."

Last December, Conover argued the death penalty is unnecessary, and criticized how the previous Trump administration pursued federal executions in its waning days.

Esther J. Winne, the executive assistant U.S. Attorney for Arizona, told the Tucson Sentinel three weeks ago federal prosecutors had "a significant federal interest in this matter," adding Conover's comments "mischaracterize the situation."

"However, we have no intent to engage in an exchange with the county attorney via the media," Winne said on July 10. 

Winne did not respond to a request for comment from the Sentinel on Tuesday, though federal officials were likely pursuing stiffer charges against Aguirre in the interim.

Federal officials would not provide information to the Sentinel about where he is being held.

Aguirre is likely in custody with the U.S. Marshals' Service, but was not listed in a database for federal prisoners, nor ICE. A request for comment from Aguirre's attorney, a federal public defender assigned to his case, was not returned.

Conover said Tuesday that her office secured a grand jury indictment against Aguirre for first-degree murder on July 25, and the local grand jury charged Aguirre with 12 counts— including first-degree murder, attempt to commit armed robbery, burglary, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor, and multiple counts of aggravated assault.

Regardless of their limited access, her office "will continue to exhaust all legal options to move the case forward for all of the victims involved," Conover said Tuesday, before learning of the new federal charges. "We will continue to do everything possible to work this prosecution normally, despite the obstruction faced."

"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," said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. "Our criminal laws exist to protect our community, and the United States has an obligation to enforce those laws." 

"The alleged series of crimes in the indictment, starting with illegal immigration, escalating to prohibited possession of a firearm, and culminating in the death of an innocent individual, is why the United States Attorney’s Office takes this matter so seriously," Courchaine said.

"This indictment represents a meaningful step toward accountability and justice for the victim, their loved ones, and all those affected by the tragic events in early July," said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke.

"The allegations in this case involve a senseless act of violence that claimed an innocent life and deeply impacted our community. Carjacking resulting in death is a serious federal offense. The FBI, in partnership with the Tucson Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, remains dedicated to pursuing justice and ensuring public safety."

Source: tucsonsentinel.com, Paul Ingram, July 30, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde