Man fatally shot by ICE in Houston was not intended target, DHS says


A 52‑year‑old Mexican migrant, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was killed in a traffic stop on Tuesday in Houston. U.S. officials state he was not the target of a planned operation.



Family member holds image of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
A family member holds an image of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot in Houston on Tuesday


According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a "white van" with a suspect resembling the target of an operation was present at the stop. DHS says the officer fired in self‑defence after the vehicle collided with an ICE unit.


DHS revealed that half of its field officers are now equipped with body cameras, and the remainder will receive them within the next 60 days. No footage of the incident has yet been made public.


Salgado, who had worked as a builder in the Houston area for 30 years, arrived in the U.S. as an undocumented migrant. His family said he had no criminal record and was close to securing a work permit. He was driving with three co‑workers to a job site when the encounter occurred.


In a previous statement sent to CBS News, DHS described the victim as "attempting to evade arrest" and alleged that he "rammed an ICE vehicle" before the officer fired. He was transported to a hospital but died from his injuries.


DHS also noted that two white vans were previously observed at a monitored address weeks earlier. When the agents returned on Tuesday, they claimed the stop was triggered by a vehicle resembling the target.


The event catalysed protests in Houston on Wednesday and prompted four Democratic members of Congress—Representative Sylvia Garcia, Al Green, Lizzie Fletcher and Representative Christian Menefeau—to demand an independent investigation. The letters cited previous cases of federal agents allegedly using excessive force in the United States and urged lawmakers to consider those incidents in the current inquiry.


The Mexican government announced it would file criminal complaints over deaths of more than a dozen Mexican nationals in U.S. custody, including the case of Salgado. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco stated the complaints would seek criminal investigation into the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody and arrest operations.


For more on this topic, see BBC News.