US authorities have confirmed that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was killed by immigration agents in Houston this past Tuesday, was not the individual they intended to apprehend. The 52-year-old Mexican national was commuting to his construction job at 7:00 AM when the fatal encounter occurred.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the incident began after agents identified a vehicle they believed belonged to an enforcement target. The agents claimed the officer discharged his weapon in self-defense after the driver allegedly attempted to flee and rammed an ICE vehicle. Notably, the officers involved were not equipped with body cameras, and no video evidence of the event has been provided.
Salgado had lived and worked in the United States for three decades as an undocumented immigrant. His family stated he possessed no criminal record and was near the point of securing a work permit. He was transporting three coworkers at the time of the shooting.
The event has sparked significant backlash, leading to protests and calls for an independent probe from four Democratic members of Congress. In a formal letter, lawmakers Sylvia Garcia, Al Green, Lizzie Fletcher, and Christian Menefee criticized the official narrative, questioning the repeated claims of self-defense used by federal agents in similar cases.
Simultaneously, the Mexican government is moving forward with criminal complaints regarding the deaths of its citizens within the US immigration system. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco indicated that President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered these legal actions to ensure that deaths occurring during ICE operations or while in custody are treated as criminal investigations.
