DENVER -- Charges against Raul Gomez-Garcia were announced Thursday by the Denver District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Mitch Morrissey told reporters that the Mexican National suspected of shooting and killing a Denver police officer will face charges of second-degree murder. He's also charged with first-degree attempted murder in connection with the shooting of a second police officer.

The charges were filed May 16, but not announced until the arrest warrant was unsealed.

Gomez-Garcia is accused in the May 8 shooting death of Detective Donnie Young. Police say the gunman ambushed Young from behind as he and another officer provided off-duty security outside a private banquet hall.

The other officer, John "Jack" Bishop, was saved by his bulletproof vest and received minor injuries.

Gomez-Garcia is being held in Mexico, awaiting extradition proceedings by Colorado authorities.

Mexico will not extradite any citizen who may face the death penalty or life in prison.

"It is my understanding that I would be prohibited from extraditing him if I sought first-degree murder charges in this case," said Mitch Morrisey, Denver district attorney. "I'm hoping for as quick a one (extradition) as we can get."

If Gomez-Garcia is extradited, and found guilty of both charges against him, he could be sentenced to between 32 and 96 years in prison, 7News reported.

He had been identified by police as Raul Garcia-Gomez, but detectives who went to Mexico learned his real name is Raul Gomez-Garcia.

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