The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora reported that President Donald Trump nominated Julia Díaz-Rex on Nov. 10 to replace W. Stephen Muldrow as U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico for a four-year term
- Primera Hora reported that Muldrow announced his resignation on July 2, 2026, after 37 years at the Justice Department, with Héctor Ramírez Carbó becoming interim chief on July 7
- Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora reported that Díaz-Rex served as federal prosecutor from 2005-2019, progressing from financial crimes to major crimes to chief of the narcotics unit before becoming an immigration judge
- Metro Puerto Rico reported that Díaz-Rex holds a master's from the U.S. Army War College and has served in the Army Reserve, National Guard and Coast Guard Reserve
Updates
Update, Nov 11, 3:28 PM AST
New reports add Muldrow's resignation date, Díaz-Rex's full career timeline, education, military service and exact interim start date.
Metro Puerto Rico reported that President Donald Trump nominated Julia Díaz-Rex to serve a four-year term as U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, replacing W. Stephen Muldrow who resigned. The nomination was referred to the Senate on Nov. 10, according to an official White House communication. The report states that Héctor E. Ramírez Carbó has led the office on an interim basis since July 7, 2026.
Primera Hora reported that Muldrow announced his resignation on July 2, 2026, after more than 37 years at the Justice Department. The outlet detailed Díaz-Rex's progression from financial crimes prosecutor (2005-2012) to senior litigator in major crimes (2012-2015) and chief of the narcotics unit (2015-2019), after which she was appointed an immigration judge.
Both new reports list her education: a bachelor's from Florida International University in 1990 and a law degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1993. Metro Puerto Rico added that she earned a master's from the U.S. Army War College in 2015 and has served in the Army Reserve, National Guard and Coast Guard Reserve in legal and military roles. The new accounts do not contradict the earlier reporting.
Nomination announced
President Donald Trump has nominated Julia Díaz Rex to serve as the next U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día reported. The nomination was referred to the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Stephen Muldrow, according to the same report. NotiCel reported that the federal prosecutor's office in Puerto Rico is currently led on an interim basis by Héctor Ramírez Carbó.
Díaz Rex previously served as a federal prosecutor in San Juan. El Nuevo Día reported that she directed the Narcotics Unit and worked on major criminal cases including the 2009 La Tómbola massacre in Sabana Seca in which seven people and a pregnant woman were killed. NotiCel reported that she also participated in investigations of major crimes and financial offenses between 2005 and 2019.
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Background and process
El Nuevo Día reported that since July it had been known that Díaz Rex was the preferred candidate of the Trump administration and was under consideration by the U.S. Department of Justice. The report added that the resignation of Muldrow followed an FBI agent's inquiry into her professional background. Former prosecutor Osvaldo Carlo wrote on X in July that Muldrow learned of his replacement when the FBI interviewed him about his successor and that federal Justice Department officials did not call him directly.
The nomination of Díaz Rex would need to be considered urgently by the Senate Judiciary Committee or receive sufficient bipartisan support to go directly to the full Senate before the 119th Congress ends in December, El Nuevo Día reported. In January the Senate will have a Democratic majority that could be 56-44 and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island is expected to chair the Judiciary Committee.
Where the sources differ
All four outlets—El Nuevo Día, NotiCel, Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora—agree that President Donald Trump nominated Julia Díaz-Rex to head the federal prosecutor's office in San Juan to replace Stephen Muldrow and that Senate confirmation is required. El Nuevo Día provided the most detail on the July consideration process, the FBI interview surrounding Muldrow's departure, the La Tómbola case and the need for urgent Senate action before a Democratic majority takes over. NotiCel, Metro and Primera Hora add that the office has been led by interim prosecutor Héctor Ramírez Carbó since July 7, 2026. The new reports supply Muldrow's exact resignation announcement date of July 2, 2026, a fuller timeline of Díaz-Rex's prosecutorial roles, her immigration judge appointment in 2019, education details and military service. The sources do not conflict on any facts.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact date Stephen Muldrow left office, whether Julia Díaz-Rex has formally accepted the nomination, if the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing, or when confirmation might occur. They also do not indicate whether the Biden administration, current Justice Department officials or senators have commented on the nomination.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Donald Trump nombra a Julia Diaz Rex como próxima jefa de la fiscalía federal de San Juan
- Reporting Trump nomina a Julia Díaz Rex como nueva jefa de fiscalía federal en Puerto Rico
- Reporting Donald Trump nomina a Julia Díaz-Rex para dirigir la Fiscalía Federal en Puerto Rico
- Reporting El presidente Trump nomina a nueva fiscal federal para Puerto Rico
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, NotiCel, Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora all reported the nomination and the requirement for Senate confirmation. The July 2 resignation date, interim start on July 7, full career timeline, education and military service rest on the two newest reports.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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