A federal immigration agent fatally shot a driver in Houston on Tuesday morning, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). The agency identified the deceased as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national it described as an 'illegal alien' who was the target of a 'targeted enforcement operation'.
ICE stated that agents stopped Salgado Araujo at around 6.50am and attempted to arrest him. The agency claims he 'weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer', leading the officer to fire in self-defence. No evidence has been provided to support this account.
Salgado Araujo's son, Ronaldo Salgado, told Telemundo Houston his father was looking for workers in the area that morning. Local law enforcement reported Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen and later died in hospital.
The Texas Civil Rights Project condemned the use of force, demanding transparency and an independent investigation. US Representative Sylvia Garcia echoed these calls, urging a full review of all available evidence. The FBI will investigate the incident.
Critics have noted similarities to previous ICE shootings where government accounts were later contradicted by video evidence. Local journalists captured footage of the incident, though its authenticity has not been independently verified.
