Three men who were in the van when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, this week are strongly disputing the Trump administration's narrative of the events, according to their lawyer and lawmakers. The men, arrested during the incident, denied that Salgado “weaponized” his vehicle against ICE officials and stated that no ICE officer ever stood in front of the van. They told their attorney that the shots came from the “sides” of the vehicle.
Incident Details and Initial Claims
On early Tuesday morning, Salgado, his brother, and two other men were heading to work in a van when ICE officers conducted a “targeted enforcement operation.” Salgado was shot and killed. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially claimed that Salgado “weaponized” his vehicle and attempted to hit an ICE officer, leading to the officer discharging his weapon. However, Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, a Texas attorney representing two of the men, said during a press conference on Friday 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 men’s claims were first reported by the Washington Post.
Lack of Body Cameras and Dashcams
Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) revealed on Friday that the ICE officers involved were not wearing body cameras and their vehicles lacked dashcams, based on her conversation with ICE's acting director, David Venturella. This lack of video evidence has fueled calls for independent investigations. Democrats have repeatedly urged ICE and other homeland security officials to wear body cameras during arrest operations, particularly after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis in January.
Conflicting Testimony and Investigation
Garcia noted “conflicting testimony” and stated that there appeared to be no damage to vehicles at the shooting scene. According to a written statement from one of the men, reviewed by the Washington Post, “there were no officers in front of or behind the vehicle. They were on the sides.” The Harris County District Attorney's Office launched an investigation, with District Attorney Sean Teare saying his agency was “not invited to the scene” but hoped the DHS inspector general would share information. The FBI is also investigating whether Salgado assaulted ICE officials. Salgado, who lived in the U.S. for nearly 35 years, had no criminal history.
Pressure to Self-Deport
The three men are being detained at the Montgomery Processing Center, a privately run ICE facility in Conroe, Texas. Balderas-Ibarra reported that his clients are being pressured to sign self-removal orders for deportation. “Given the magnitude of this case and the implications that it carries, my clients may be pressured into signing documentation for their voluntary departure,” he said. “It is extremely important that we preserve the integrity of this investigation – that will all be out the window if they are deported.”
Broader Context of ICE Shootings
This incident is part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement. Since January 2025, there have been at least 10 fatal shootings by federal immigration officials. The DHS has faced repeated scrutiny over its tactics, which have been used to fulfill the administration's “mass deportations” campaign. Salgado's family and lawmakers have demanded an independent investigation, citing previous false and contradictory information from DHS.
Video shared on social media shows Salgado on the ground with two ICE officials over him as he bleeds and yells. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. His family learned of his death through social media posts, his son said. The Harris County District Attorney's Office has secured footage from a nearby grocery store, according to a store employee, who said the footage was turned over to investigators.
