Two passengers in the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old man fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on July 7 in Houston, have stated in federal court that the officers involved were not in danger of being run over. These accounts contradict the Department of Homeland Security's initial statement that Salgado Araujo had "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer" and that the officer fired in self-defense.
In statements submitted as part of their own legal challenges, the passengers described the government's account as "a lie." They asserted that ICE officers were positioned to the sides of the van and not in front of or behind it. Salgado Araujo, who had been living in the U.S. without legal status for 35 years and operated a homebuilding business, died in front of his construction crew, which included his brother. His family reported he had no prior criminal record.
His death, one of at least 10 during immigration enforcement operations since the start of the Trump administration's increased deportation efforts, prompted protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation. Neither the involved officers nor the vehicle were equipped with body cameras, and no photographic or video evidence of the incident has emerged.
The three men who were in the van with Salgado Araujo were arrested and are currently being held in immigration detention facilities. They have each filed habeas corpus petitions, arguing their confinement is unconstitutional and seeking release.
Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and Daniel Tirado Pantoja attached their descriptions of the shooting to their petitions. Both stated they have resided in the U.S. for decades without criminal histories. Victor Salgado, the brother of the deceased, has also petitioned a judge for his release, though his attorney has requested his petition be sealed to protect his privacy.
Rojas Pliego detailed that on the morning of the shooting, Salgado Araujo picked him up at 6:30 a.m., a daily routine, and they then picked up the other two men. Tirado Pantoja reported that a vehicle began following them closely, nearly colliding with their van. He stated they were startled, drove over a curb, and attempted to turn around.
Rojas Pliego claimed the ICE vehicle pursued them, and Salgado Araujo believed they had evaded the tailing vehicle. However, he stated agents suddenly cornered them. Tirado Pantoja wrote that the ICE vehicle struck their van from behind and then on the driver's side.
DHS has maintained that Salgado Araujo rammed the ICE vehicles. A federal prosecutor in Texas indicated that ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men in a van similar to Salgado Araujo's. DHS stated Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to drive toward an officer, who then fired in self-defense.
Rojas Pliego countered that this version is "impossible" and "a lie," emphasizing that "there wasn’t a single officer behind or in front of us, they were only on the sides." Tirado Pantoja corroborated this, adding that Salgado Araujo had "put vehicle in park as the agents were shooting."
Rojas Pliego stated that after the shooting, officers pulled Salgado Araujo, who was wounded, from the car, handcuffed him, and "threw him to the ground." Tirado Pantoja recalled Salgado Araujo saying, "Ya me mataron" – "they’ve already killed me." Rojas Pliego further alleged that the officer who fired the shot then "dragged us out violently, throwing us to the ground while we were handcuffed and chained from head to toe."
Aaron Reitz, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, announced that his office, the FBI, DHS, and state and local law enforcement agencies are conducting a full investigation. He stated, "We are doing everything we can to seek the truth and do the right thing." DHS confirmed that its Office of Inspector General is also investigating, with the FBI's Houston office leading an inquiry into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
On Monday, a judge prohibited the government from deporting Rojas Pliego or removing him from the district without court approval. A separate judge on Wednesday ordered the government to provide at least five days' notice before transferring or deporting Tirado Pantoja.
Raed Gonzalez Olivieri, an attorney for both men, argued in their petitions that their detentions are exceptional given that "those who now administer his custody shot at him at close range," potentially increasing their risk of suffering emotional and physical pain while incarcerated. Both men have applied for visas intended for immigrant victims of crime who assist law enforcement, with their lawyer asserting they are material witnesses to the killing and survivors of "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon."