Man who was killed by ICE in Texas never ‘weaponized’ his vehicle, witnesses say
Witnesses Say Man Who Was Killed by ICE Never Weaponized Van
Man who was killed by ICE - The man who was killed by ICE in Houston never weaponized his vehicle, according to multiple witnesses who were passengers in the van during the fatal encounter. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father of three and US citizen, was shot and killed by federal immigration authorities on Tuesday morning while traveling to work. The passengers are now challenging the official narrative that Salgado attempted to strike an ICE officer with his van, a claim that prompted the officer to fire his weapon.
Passenger Testimony Contradicts Official Account
Three individuals who were riding in the van with Salgado have come forward to share their version of events. They told their attorney that no ICE agent was standing directly in front of the vehicle when the shooting occurred. The passengers stated that the fatal shots came from the sides of the van, not from a frontal position. This testimony directly contradicts the Department of Homeland Security's assertion that the man who was killed by ICE weaponized his vehicle and attempted to hit an officer.
Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, a Texas attorney representing two of the van's occupants, emphasized this point during a Friday press conference. He stated that his 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 passengers' account suggests that the man who was killed by ICE was simply driving to work when ICE officers began following the van.
Investigation and Political Response
The Harris County district attorney's office has launched an investigation into the shooting. District attorney Sean Teare explained that his agency was "not invited to the scene" but hopes the DHS inspector general's office will share its findings. Teare added, "We will go to the ends of the earth to collect all the evidence so we can eventually let the public know what happened."
Texas Representative Sylvia Garcia noted that the ICE officers involved were not equipped with body cameras, and their patrol vehicles lacked dash-cameras. She made this statement after meeting with ICE's acting director, David Venturella. The FBI is also investigating whether Salgado assaulted ICE officials, though the agency declined earlier this year to share information with local Minnesota officials regarding three separate shootings involving immigration authorities.
Democratic lawmakers have consistently advocated for ICE and other homeland security personnel to wear body cameras during arrest operations. This call follows the shooting deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis during January, which occurred amid the Trump administration's increased enforcement presence in that city.
Salgado's Background and Family Statement
Salgado, who has resided in the United States for nearly 35 years, possessed no criminal record. His family described Tuesday as beginning like any other day. Their father woke up early, entered his van, and drove to collect three co-workers—one being his brother—to travel to a construction site. As they proceeded toward their destination, two unmarked ICE vehicles began following the four men.
According to reporting by the New York Times and Representative Garcia, Salgado and his brother were not the intended arrest targets. Instead, ICE believed that the person they were seeking was inside the van Salgado was driving. The family and lawmakers have called for an independent investigation into the death of the man who was killed by ICE, citing previous false and contradictory information provided by the DHS.
"Dangerous criminals – whether they be illegal aliens or US citizens – are assaulting law enforcement and turning their vehicles into weapons to attack law enforcement," a DHS spokesperson declared this week.