Federal officials have stated that the migrant fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston, Texas, was not the individual the agency was attempting to apprehend. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a citizen of Mexico, was killed after he attempted to drive his vehicle into ICE officers while fleeing a traffic stop.
According to DHS, ICE officers were conducting surveillance on a property based on a credible law enforcement tip and observed two white vans at the location. On July 7, officers initiated a vehicle stop when they saw a white van carrying an individual who resembled their intended target.
U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) confirmed that the acting ICE director, David Venturella, informed her that officers believed someone in the van, not Salgado Araujo, had a final order of removal. The name of the intended target was not provided.
On Tuesday, DHS initially claimed Salgado Araujo had ignored commands to pull over and had attempted to ram an ICE officer with his vehicle, prompting the officer to fire in self-defense. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting.
Bystander video captured the incident, showing a black vehicle angled towards a white van with its doors open. A bleeding man, later identified as Salgado Araujo, was seen on the ground. The footage also showed at least three other men in handcuffs, one of whom Salgado Araujo's family identified as his brother.
Family members of Salgado Araujo stated that he had lived in the United States for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal status. They described him as a father of three with no criminal record who owned a home-building business. His oldest son, Ronaldo Salgado, described his father as a quiet man devoted to his family and work.
The DHS Inspector General's Office has launched an investigation into the shooting. The Harris County District Attorney's office also stated it is pursuing its own investigative avenues and will review any collected information.