A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national and long-time Houston resident, as he drove his construction crew to a job site on Tuesday. The incident, which occurred in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood, has ignited protests across Texas’ largest city and prompted calls from Democrats and Salgado Araujo’s family for an independent investigation.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, federal officers were attempting to stop a vehicle driven by Salgado Araujo. DHS stated that agents had been investigating a tip weeks prior, observing two white vans at a target’s address. On Tuesday, officers spotted a white van and an individual inside resembling their target. The department claims Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to ram an ICE vehicle, leading a federal officer to fire their weapon in self-defense.
However, Salgado Araujo’s family disputes this account. His son, Ronaldo Salgado, stated that his father had lived in the U.S. for 35 years, was nearing the completion of his legal status application, and knew how to respond to ICE officers. Ronaldo suggested his father might have been fearful that individuals in unmarked vehicles were attempting to steal his work tools. Salgado Araujo, a homebuilder who had established his own business and crew in the Houston suburbs, had no criminal record, his family confirmed.
The shooting’s aftermath was captured in a video by bystander Juliet Martinez, showing a black vehicle angled towards a white van with their doors open. A bleeding and handcuffed man is seen groaning loudly on the ground, his leg shaking, while other federal officers stand over at least three additional handcuffed men. ICE has not disclosed the names of the other detained individuals, though Salgado Araujo’s family identified one as his brother. Families of the other two men confirmed they were able to speak with them briefly on Wednesday and that they remain in detention.
ICE confirmed on Thursday that the officers involved in the shooting were not wearing body cameras. The agency has not specified whether agents were explicitly targeting Salgado Araujo or if the officers involved have been placed on leave. The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General’s office initiated an investigation into the shooting on Tuesday.
Salgado Araujo’s death marks at least the eighth fatality during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign. In several previous shootings, video footage has contradicted federal officers’ accounts, and no immigration officers have been charged in these deaths. Notable incidents include the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti during a winter crackdown in Minnesota, and Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, who was killed in Texas in March 2025, a death that remained undisclosed for nearly a year.
The incident has drawn international condemnation. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced it is time to escalate Mexico’s complaints beyond diplomatic channels. She stated, “We are going to do everything in our power, because we cannot stand silent” in the face of deaths of Mexicans “whose only crime is working honestly in the United States.” Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco added on Thursday that Mexico plans to request criminal charges in U.S. courts over the alleged killings of three Mexicans during ICE operations and the deaths of 14 others in ICE custody. These complaints will be submitted to state prosecutor offices and the U.S. Department of Justice against those found responsible.
Locally, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare emphasized that Salgado Araujo’s family and the community deserve the truth. His office announced Thursday they are “pursuing investigative avenues available to us and will conduct a review of any information we collect within our reach.” Houston Mayor John Whitmire clarified that city police were not involved in the chase or shooting and lack jurisdiction over federal officers.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and his wife immigrated to America after meeting as teenagers in Mexico, seeking a better life for their future family, according to Ronaldo Salgado. The father of three, whose oldest son became a teacher, another an engineer, and a third studying engineering, was described as a quiet man who left for work at sunrise and enjoyed petting his dog and listening to music on his porch. Ronaldo Salgado expressed his desire for his father to be remembered as “a family man, a man who understood that good things come to those who put in hard work,” rather than as a victim of a fatal shooting.
Few photos or video surrounding the shooting in Houston have emerged on social media, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers.
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.
A man walks past a makeshift memorial for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Here’s what we know about Salgado Araujo’s shooting:
