The Lorenzo Salgado Araujo ICE shooting remains under investigation after a federal immigration agent fatally shot the 52-year-old Houston man Tuesday morning. New updates show Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the ICE operation, according to federal and local officials.
The shooting happened July 7 in Houston’s Magnolia Park area. Federal officials, local leaders, family members, and witnesses have offered different accounts of what happened.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo ICE Shooting Under Review
The Department of Homeland Security has said ICE officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation when they tried to stop Salgado Araujo’s van.
DHS said Salgado Araujo attempted to evade officers, rammed an ICE vehicle, and tried to run over an agent. The agency said the agent fired in self-defense. Salgado Araujo later died at Ben Taub Hospital.
However, Rep. Sylvia Garcia said acting ICE Director David Venturella confirmed Salgado Araujo was not the intended target. Garcia also said his brother, who was in the vehicle, was not the target.
DHS said officers saw a white van and someone who resembled the target. The agency said officers had been watching a target address where two white vans had previously been seen.
Family and Witnesses Dispute Federal Account
Salgado Araujo’s family disputes the federal version of events. Relatives said he may not have known the people in unmarked vehicles were ICE officers.
His family described him as a homebuilder and father of three U.S. citizens. Family members said he had lived in the United States for more than 35 years and had no criminal convictions.
An attorney for three men who were inside the van said their accounts also conflict with DHS. The men told the attorney that the officer was not threatened and that Salgado Araujo was shot through a passenger window.
DHS has denied claims that the men have been pressured to leave the country voluntarily. The three men were detained after the shooting.
No Body Camera Footage Released
DHS confirmed the ICE officers involved were not wearing body cameras. Garcia also said no dashboard camera footage captured the incident.
DHS said the officers had not yet received body-worn cameras. The agency said the remaining ICE field offices are expected to receive them within 60 days.
The lack of video has increased calls for transparency. Civil rights groups, local leaders, and family members have asked for an independent review.
The Harris County Medical Examiner ruled Salgado Araujo’s death a homicide. Records list the cause as a penetrating gunshot wound of the torso.
Harris County DA and HPD Respond
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said his office has been conducting its own review since the shooting. Teare asked anyone with video, photos, or information to contact investigators.
The Houston Police Department also announced it would make resources available to federal investigators. Police Chief Noe Diaz said the department would support the DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI at Mayor John Whitmire’s direction.
Federal authorities still control key evidence. The DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI are involved in the federal review.
Mexico has also raised concerns. Mexican officials have said they plan to request criminal charges over deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody or enforcement actions, including cases tied to recent operations.
For Houston’s Latino community, the case has become a major test of transparency and accountability. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact local investigators so the full record can be reviewed.