F.B.I. Investigates Houston Shooting Involving ICE Agent

Federal investigators are examining a case involving illegal drugs possibly present in a vehicle during a deadly encounter in Houston. Immigration agents involved in the incident reportedly were not aware of the presence of these drugs.

Family members gathered near a makeshift memorial for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an I.C.E. agent in Houston.

Recent Developments

The F.B.I. is probing whether a van contained drugs last week when immigration agents shot its driver. The incident occurred in Houston, and a search warrant application signed by a federal judge reveals details of this investigation.

A copy of the warrant application filed in Houston federal court, obtained by a news source, sought “controlled substances” and included photographs showing small bags inside the van. The vehicle, a white Ford Transit cargo van, was driven by 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

Lorenzo was on his way to a construction job with three other passengers when I.C.E. agents began to follow them. During the pursuit, an agent fatally shot Lorenzo in the abdomen.

The search warrant application, authored by Special Agent David McNeilly of the F.B.I., states that the United States is currently gathering all relevant facts, including reasons for the occupants’ flight.

Details Surrounding the Incident

The Department of Homeland Security clarified that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and the other individuals in the vehicle were not the intended targets. Instead, I.C.E. agents were seeking a different person.

The incident was not drug-related, and there was no indication that agents ever suspected that drugs were in the van. Additionally, there is no evidence suggesting involvement with drugs or criminal history for Lorenzo or the others present.