HOUSTON — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo as the Mexican national drove his construction crew to a job site in Houston.
ICE said it targeted Salgado Araujo on Tuesday because he entered the country without legal permission and failed to stop his van as officers tried to pull him over, instead ramming their vehicle. The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, has not released video or photos to back its version of events.
Salgado Araujo’s family said he had nearly finished the long process of obtaining legal status in the U.S. after living and working in the country for 35 years and that he knew what to do if approached by ICE.
They suggested ICE used unmarked vehicles and that Salgado Araujo thought he was about to be robbed. The family joined civil rights activists in calling for a full, independent investigation.
Here’s what we know about Salgado Araujo’s shooting:
The shooting happened on a Houston street
Little evidence has been posted on social media, including any video of the actual shooting, in contrast to other deaths involving ICE officers.
The ICE version of events, released hours after the shooting, is that Salgado Araujo was shot after he ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer who fired his weapon in self-defense. The agency has not released any video, photos or additional information since that initial statement.
A video shot by bystander Juliet Martinez shows the aftermath of the shooting. A black vehicle is angled toward a white van, their doors wide open. A bleeding and handcuffed man groans loudly on the ground and his leg shakes. Other federal officers stand over at least three other handcuffed men.
ICE has not released the names of the other men detained, but Salgado Araujo’s family identified one as his brother. Families of the other two men said they were able to briefly talk to them Wednesday and they are being detained.
Salgado Araujo’s family says he worked hard for the American dream
Salgado Araujo and his wife came to America after meeting in their teens in Mexico and deciding they wanted a better life for their future family, his son Ronaldo Salgado said.
The father of three built houses in the Houston suburbs, started his own business and established his own crew. He had no criminal record, his family said.
Ronaldo Salgado, the oldest son, became a teacher. He said one of his brothers is an engineer and the other is studying engineering in college.
Salgado Araujo’s wife made his lunch every day as he left at sunrise and had a hearty dinner ready when he got home at sunset. He was a quiet man who loved to pet his dog and sit on his porch listening to music, his son said.
“That’s how I want the world to know my father. Not as someone who got shot and killed, but as a family man, a man who understood that good things come to those who put in hard work,” Salgado said during a news conference on Wednesday.
At least 8 deaths so far in the immigration crackdown
Salgado Araujo was at least the eighth person to die during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign. No immigration officers have been charged in the deaths and video footage in several previous shootings contradicts the accounts of federal officers.
The most well-known of the killings happened during the winter crackdown in Minnesota where U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed during protests.
Two other shooting deaths happened during traffic stops, including Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, who was killed in Texas in March 2025. His death was not disclosed for nearly a year.
A farmworker fell from the roof of a greenhouse and broke his neck in California and two of the deaths involved men hit by vehicles as they tried to run away.
Mexico plans to file criminal charges over deaths of its citizens
President Claudia Sheinbaum said it is time to escalate Mexico’s complaints beyond diplomatic channels after the killing of Salgado Araujo.
“We are going to do everything in our power, because we cannot stand silent” in the face of the deaths of Mexicans “whose only crime is working honestly in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico will file criminal charges in U.S. courts over the alleged killing of three Mexicans during ICE operations and the deaths of another 14 in ICE custody, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said Thursday during a presidential press conference.
The complaints, filed against whoever is found responsible for the deaths, will be submitted to state prosecutor offices and the U.S. Department of Justice. They will be accompanied by civil actions against the companies that operate detention centers to put an end to human rights violations, Velasco said.
Concerns arise about who will investigate the shooting
Homeland Security said Tuesday that the department’s Inspector General’s office was investigating the shooting.
Salgado Araujo’s family and civil rights leaders have demanded an independent probe.
The League of United Latin American Citizens offered a $5,000 reward for videos and other evidence, and warned ICE could hide or destroy any material members of the public present to the agency.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Salgado Araujo’s family and the community deserve the truth but that federal authorities are exclusively handling the investigation at this time.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said city police were not involved in any part of the chase or shooting and have no jurisdiction over federal officers.
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Brook reported from New Orleans and Collins from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press reporters Gisela Salomon in Miami; Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C.; and Ryan J. Foley in Omaha contributed.
