Key facts
- ICE officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, on July 7 in Houston.
- The shooting occurred during an immigration enforcement operation.
- ICE officers were reportedly targeting two Guatemalan men and believed Salgado Araujo fit their description.
- Salgado Araujo evaded an initial attempt to pull over his van.
- During a second attempt, an officer was partially inside or next to the van when Salgado Araujo attempted to drive away.
- New details from the U.S. attorney's office contradict earlier DHS claims of Salgado Araujo ramming a vehicle.
A federal prosecutor in Texas has provided new details regarding the July 7 shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national and longtime U.S. resident, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The disclosure challenges the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) initial statement that Salgado Araujo struck an ICE vehicle before being shot.
U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz stated that ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men believed to be subject to deportation and that Salgado Araujo's van matched the description of the vehicle they were seeking. Officers attempted to pull over Salgado Araujo's van, which he evaded by making a U-turn over a median. Later, officers surrounded the van, and as two agents approached, one was partially inside or immediately next to the vehicle when Salgado Araujo attempted to drive away, leading to the shooting.
The earlier DHS statement accused Salgado Araujo of weaponizing his vehicle and ramming a law enforcement car, prompting an officer to fire in self-defense. However, the U.S. attorney's office statement did not mention any collision or explicitly state that the officer feared for their life. The statement also noted the discovery of small bags containing a white, crystal-like substance in the van, which the brother's attorney claims was a salt mixture for hydration. Salgado Araujo's brother, who was present in the van, has been in ICE detention since the incident.