Witnesses dispute ICE account in deadly Houston shooting

Witnesses in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s SUV said he did not ram ICE officers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement initially said Araujo tried to run over an officer during a targeted enforcement operation near Canal Street and Wayside Drive. The Department of Homeland Security later said Araujo was not the intended target, and officials confirmed the agents involved were not wearing body-worn cameras.

The shooting happened Tuesday, July 7, in Houston’s Magnolia Park area during a traffic stop, as Araujo drove his construction crew to a job. A video from the scene captured the moments before the shooting.

At a news conference Wednesday, July 8, Araujo’s sons, Ronaldo Salgado and Lorenzo Salgado Jr., said their father had lived in the United States for about 35 years and had been working toward a work permit. He had no criminal convictions during those decades in the country.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia said acting ICE Director David Venturella confirmed that Araujo “was not a target.” Garcia has pushed for an independent investigation and the release of dashcam video, body-camera footage, dispatch logs and other records tied to the operation.

The Department of Homeland Security said the case remains under investigation by its Office of the Inspector General. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum called for legal action after the killing.