Federal prosecutor reveals new details in fatal ICE shooting that contradict earlier account of Texas immigration operation
New details released by federal prosecutors have raised new questions about the fatal shooting of a longtime U.S. resident by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston earlier this month, contradicting parts of the government's initial account of the incident.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was shot and killed on July 7 while driving to a construction job with three co-workers, including his brother. His death sparked protests in Houston as family members demanded greater transparency. They described Salgado Araujo as a hardworking father who had lived in the United States for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal status.
Federal prosecutors said ICE officers were actually searching for two Guatemalan men believed to be subject to deportation and mistakenly believed Salgado Araujo and the passengers in his van matched their description.
According to prosecutors, officers first attempted to stop the van with emergency lights, but Salgado Araujo made a U-turn and drove over a median to avoid being stopped. Later that morning, officers encountered the van again and surrounded it. Two agents exited their vehicles and ordered Salgado Araujo to put the van in park. Prosecutors said one officer was partially inside or standing immediately next to the van when Salgado Araujo attempted to reverse before moving forward again. An officer then opened fire.
The latest account differs from the Department of Homeland Security's original statement, which claimed Salgado Araujo rammed a law enforcement vehicle and used his van as a weapon, prompting an officer to shoot in self-defense. The updated statement does not mention any collision with a law enforcement vehicle or state that the officer believed his life was in danger. No officers were reported injured.
Prosecutors also said officers observed several small bags containing a white crystal-like substance inside the van, prompting the FBI to obtain a search warrant to investigate possible illegal drugs. However, Salgado Araujo's family said the substance was an electrolyte salt mixture the workers used to stay hydrated while performing physically demanding labor in the Texas heat.
The officer involved in the shooting has not been publicly identified, and authorities have not said whether the officer who fired the shot was the same one standing next to the van. Salgado Araujo's brother remains in ICE custody following the incident.
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