The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Houston, is holding a public vigil for him. The 52-year-old, who had no criminal record, had lived in the U.S. for 35 years.
Salgado Araujo was shot and killed last Tuesday by an ICE officer while driving his construction crew to a job site. The shooting occurred amid increased scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics. This incident marks at least the 10th death resulting from encounters with ICE since the start of Trump's second term, with two additional deaths occurring in the days following Salgado Araujo's killing.
"My family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the unbelievable and incredible support we have received," Salgado Araujo's son, Ronaldo Salgado, said in a Facebook post.
Three men who were in the van with Salgado Araujo when he was killed have disputed the official account of the incident. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle and that the agent fired a weapon in self-defense. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has announced that the state's top law enforcement unit will investigate the shooting.
New court records reveal that the FBI is investigating whether drugs were found in the van. FBI Special Agent David McNeilly stated in an affidavit that he observed four plastic bags containing a white substance appearing to be methamphetamine inside the vehicle. However, the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed if suspected drugs were the reason for the traffic stop.
U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz emphasized that the information is preliminary and not conclusive, stating, "We are doing everything we can to seek the truth and do the right thing. In the meantime, I encourage the public to give the FBI and DHS the opportunity to investigate."
An attorney representing Salgado Araujo's brother, who was in the van and subsequently detained by ICE, suggested the substance found was a homemade electrolyte mix used by the construction crew to stay hydrated in the heat. The attorney called for tests to confirm the nature of the substance, adding, "But no test result, whatever it ultimately shows, will change the fact that deadly force was used against Lorenzo. You cannot shoot first and ask questions later."