Fatal ICE Shooting in Houston Involves Mistaken Identity
A family member holds an image of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot in Houston on Tuesday.
A man fatally shot by immigration agents during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday was not the intended target, according to US officials.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, was stopped at 07:00 local time (12:00 GMT) while driving to work and died shortly thereafter.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on Thursday that the stop was initiated after agents observed "a white van with an individual who resembled the target" of their operation. The agency has said the officer involved fired in self-defense.
Passengers in the van and Salgado's family have challenged the DHS account, and the agency's Office of Inspector General has launched an investigation into the fatal shooting.
The agents involved were not wearing body cameras, and officials have not released any images or videos related to the incident.
A DHS spokesperson told CBS News, a BBC US partner, that currently half of its field officers are equipped with body cameras, with the remainder expected to receive them within the next 60 days.
Background on Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Salgado, aged 52, had worked as a builder in the Houston area for three decades after arriving in the US as an undocumented migrant, according to his family.
They stated he had no criminal record and was close to obtaining a work permit. At the time of the incident, he was driving himself and three co-workers to a job site.
DHS Statement and Incident Details
In an earlier statement on Tuesday, DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said agents "attempted to conduct a vehicle stop as part of a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien." The statement alleged that Salgado "attempted to evade arrest," rammed an ICE vehicle, and that the officer "fired his weapon in self-defense." Salgado was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
On Thursday, DHS added that agents had observed two white vans weeks prior at a surveilled address. Upon returning on Tuesday, they saw "a white van with an individual who resembled the target" and initiated the traffic stop.
Contradictory Accounts from Passengers and Family
The attorney representing the men inside the van with Salgado Araujo stated their version of events contradicts DHS's account, as reported by CBS.
"All three of my clients reiterated that at no point was there ever an agent standing in front of the vehicle, nor was an agent ever placed in the line of danger," the attorney said.
Salgado Araujo's sons have also disputed the DHS narrative.
Political and Community Reactions
The incident has sparked protests in Houston, Texas's most populous city. Four Democratic members of Congress have called for an independent investigation into Salgado's death.
In a letter to DHS, Sylvia Garcia, Al Green, Lizzie Fletcher, and Christian Menefee stated the incident was "not the first time ICE agents have used unnecessary, deadly force." They urged Markwayne Mullin, head of DHS, to remember cases such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two US citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in January.
Referring to Salgado's shooting on Tuesday, they wrote that "instead of answers and accountability, DHS and ICE released a statement echoing the same stories we have heard before, claiming an evasion of arrest, weaponization of a vehicle, and that the fatal shooting was a result of self-defense."
Investigations and Law Enforcement Responses
Federal investigations have commenced, though according to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, there are limitations on a state-level probe.
The DHS Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting death, and the FBI Houston division is leading an inquiry into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer, an ICE spokesperson told the BBC.
The BBC has reached out to the FBI for comment.
At the Houston mayor's request, HPD Chief Noe Diaz sent a letter to DHS on Friday offering resources to support a "timely, transparent, and thorough" investigation into the fatal shooting on 7 July.
"The HPD recognizes the seriousness of the matter and supports a thorough investigation," Chief Diaz wrote.
He also noted that under federal law, local law enforcement lacks independent jurisdiction to investigate federal agencies or personnel acting in their official capacities.
Mexican Government Response
Following the shooting, the Mexican government announced plans to file criminal complaints in the US concerning the deaths of more than a dozen Mexican nationals in US custody.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco stated that 14 Mexicans had died while in ICE custody, with another three dying during ICE "arrest operations."
Velasco said he was instructed by Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum to file the complaints, aiming to have these deaths investigated as criminal matters.
Context and Historical Data
Salgado Araujo is at least the eighth person to die during immigration operations under the Trump administration, according to the Associated Press. No immigration officers have faced charges related to these deaths.
