Key facts
- Federal agents involved in a fatal shooting in Houston did not have body-worn cameras.
- Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the victim, was not the intended target of the immigration enforcement operation.
- ICE agents claimed Salgado Araujo rammed their vehicle, prompting a self-defense shooting.
- The shooting occurred when agents attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Salgado Araujo.
- The Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office will investigate the death.
Federal agents involved in a fatal shooting in Houston did not have body cameras, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated. The victim, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years, was not the intended target of the immigration enforcement operation, according to DHS.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were reportedly seeking two individuals from Guatemala when they attempted to stop Salgado Araujo, who was driving three other people to work early Tuesday. After the shooting, the three men were taken into custody, including Salgado Araujo's brother, Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo, who remains in immigration detention.
DHS stated that officers observed a white van with an individual resembling their target. The agency claims Salgado Araujo "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer" who then fired in self-defense. This defense has been used in other incidents where video evidence contradicted the agency's account.
Salgado Araujo died in the hospital after being shot in the abdomen. His son, Ronaldo Salgado, expressed outrage, stating his father was not the target of any investigation. The death marks the 10th fatal shooting by federal immigration officials since the second Trump administration took office.
The shooting will be investigated by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office.