ICE agent fatally shoots motorist during traffic stop in Houston
✓A federal immigration agent fatally shot a driver in Houston on Tuesday morning, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has said.
Agents stopped Lorenzo Salgado Araujo at around 6.50am and tried to arrest him, according to ICE, which described Salgado Araujo as a Mexican national and an “illegal alien” whom the agency was seeking as part of a “targeted enforcement operation”.
His son, Ronaldo Salgado, told Telemundo Houston that his father had been out that morning looking for workers in the area. According to ICE, Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer”. The confrontation resulted in “our officer firing his weapon in self-defense”.
The agency said that the FBI will be taking over the investigation of the case.
ICE did not provide any evidence corroborating its account, which echoes descriptions of other ICE shootings, including the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis and the shooting of two Venezuelan men in Oregon earlier this year. In those cases, the government descriptions of the incident were later contradicted by video evidence. In April, the federal government said a California man whom they fired upon during a traffic stop “weaponized his vehicle”, though no officers were hit by his car.
Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen, according to local law enforcement, and taken to a hospital, where he died.
The Texas Civil Rights Project condemned ICE’s use of force and raised questions about the agency’s statement on the shooting. “We demand full transparency, an independent investigation into the shooting and any use of racial profiling that led to it, and accountability for the use of deadly force. Our neighborhoods are not battlegrounds,” said Rochelle Garza, president of the civil rights group.
US representative Sylvia Garcia of Houston echoed the demand, saying that Salgado Araujo’s family and her constituents “deserve a complete and transparent accounting” of the shooting. “All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation,” she said.
Local reporters and eyewitnesses captured video of the shooting, though the Guardian has not yet verified the sourcing and content.
Reuters contributed reporting
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
An ICE agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop in Houston. ICE said Salgado Araujo, described as a Mexican national sought in a targeted enforcement operation, attempted to use his vehicle against an officer, prompting the shooting in self-defense. The agency did not provide evidence supporting this account. Video footage from eyewitnesses and local reporters exists but remains unverified. The FBI will conduct the investigation. Civil rights organizations and a local U.S. representative have called for transparent investigation, preservation of evidence, and examination of potential racial profiling.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
A federal immigration agent fatally shot a driver in Houston on Tuesday morning, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has said.
Agents stopped Lorenzo Salgado Araujo at around 6.50am and tried to arrest him, according to ICE, which described Salgado Araujo as a Mexican national and an “illegal alien” whom the agency was seeking as part of a “targeted enforcement operation”.
His son, Ronaldo Salgado, told Telemundo Houston that his father had been out that morning looking for workers in the area. According to ICE, Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer”. The confrontation resulted in “our officer firing his weapon in self-defense”.
The agency said that the FBI will be taking over the investigation of the case.
ICE did not provide any evidence corroborating its account, which echoes descriptions of other ICE shootings, including the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis and the shooting of two Venezuelan men in Oregon earlier this year. In those cases, the government descriptions of the incident were later contradicted by video evidence. In April, the federal government said a California man whom they fired upon during a traffic stop “weaponized his vehicle”, though no officers were hit by his car.
Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen, according to local law enforcement, and taken to a hospital, where he died.
The Texas Civil Rights Project condemned ICE’s use of force and raised questions about the agency’s statement on the shooting. “We demand full transparency, an independent investigation into the shooting and any use of racial profiling that led to it, and accountability for the use of deadly force. Our neighborhoods are not battlegrounds,” said Rochelle Garza, president of the civil rights group.
US representative Sylvia Garcia of Houston echoed the demand, saying that Salgado Araujo’s family and her constituents “deserve a complete and transparent accounting” of the shooting. “All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation,” she said.
Local reporters and eyewitnesses captured video of the shooting, though the Guardian has not yet verified the sourcing and content.
Reuters contributed reporting
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
A federal ICE agent fatally shot a driver during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday morning The driver was identified as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national ICE was conducting a targeted enforcement operation to apprehend Salgado Araujo ICE stated that Salgado Araujo weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE officer ICE provided no evidence corroborating its account of the incident Salgado Araujo's son stated his father was out looking for workers that morning In previous ICE shootings, government descriptions claiming vehicle weaponization were later contradicted by video evidence Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen and died at a hospital Video footage from eyewitnesses and local reporters exists but remains unverified by The Guardian The FBI will investigate the shooting ICE's use of force raises questions about racial profiling and the appropriateness of the response The incident warrants full transparency and independent investigation
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
- ICE agent fatally shot a driver, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday morning
- ICE stated Salgado Araujo attempted to run over an officer; the agency provided no evidence for this claim
- Similar ICE shooting claims have been contradicted by video evidence in previous incidents
- FBI will investigate; civil rights groups and local representatives are calling for transparency and independent review
- Eyewitness video exists but has not yet been independently verified