Key facts
- Tests on a substance found in the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by ICE officers, were negative for methamphetamine.
- U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz confirmed the negative test results.
- The family's attorney claims the substance was a homemade electrolyte mixture.
- Salgado Araujo was killed July 7 during a chase by ICE officers in Houston.
- ICE initially stated officers fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly weaponized his vehicle.
- Passengers in the van dispute the ICE account, stating officers were not in danger.
Tests on a white, crystal-like substance found in the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Houston last month, have confirmed it was not methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz stated the results were negative for the drug.
The family's attorney, David Donatti of the ACLU of Texas, identified the substance as a homemade electrolyte mixture used by Salgado Araujo and his construction crew to stay hydrated during hot weather. Donatti suggested the government's pursuit of a search warrant was an attempt to create a "false narrative" following the shooting.
Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and ran a homebuilding business, was killed on July 7. ICE officers in unmarked vehicles pursued his van, and one officer shot him through the window. ICE initially claimed the shooting was in self-defense, stating Salgado Araujo had "weaponized his vehicle." However, two passengers in the van provided statements asserting that the officers were never in danger of being hit.
Reitz had previously revealed that ICE was targeting two Guatemalan men for deportation who were driving a van similar to Salgado Araujo's. Salgado Araujo's death is among at least 10 that have occurred during immigration enforcement operations since the start of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign, prompting protests and calls for an independent investigation.