Houston Mayor condemns ICE killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city is pursuing an independent investigation into the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE.
A lawyer for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s brother disputed the suspicions raised after a search warrant application mentioned possible drug-related findings, saying the substance found in the van linked to the incident was actually salt used to make homemade electrolyte drinks for outdoor workers.
An FBI search warrant application filed on July 14 states that an unidentified “white crystal-like substance” was found inside small pieces of plastic on the vehicle’s dashboard and floorboard. But attorney Ruby Powers said after speaking with her client, Victor Salgado, and his family, they understand the substance is granulated salt mixed with lemon and water to keep workers hydrated in the extreme Texas heat.
“It was not methamphetamine or any other illegal drug,” Powers said in a July 16 statement. “A search warrant does not incriminate. An unidentified drug is not a confirmed drug.”
Ms Powers said the family wanted “their names cleared” and asked for faster testing of the substance amid public speculation following the publication of details of the warrant application. She added that no test results would change “the fact that deadly force was used against Lorenzo.”
The lawyer also called for a full and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salgado Araujo’s death and for the release of his brother, who he claimed was a key witness in the case.
On July 7, Salgado Araujo was driving to work in a van with three others, including his brother, when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer stopped the vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security said Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation. During the encounter, a police officer shot him and he subsequently died.
FBI requests search warrant, claims there may have been drugs in van
The warrant application filed by FBI Special Agent David McNeely was to search a white Ford van following the shooting death of Salgado Araujo on the morning of July 7th.
“The United States is currently gathering all facts regarding this incident, including what caused the vehicle occupants to flee,” McNairys said in the warrant application. The application was supposed to be sealed, but it was still available for viewing by USA TODAY.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett in Texas issued the search warrant on the same day McNeely filed the application, and the case was added to the federal docket on July 15. Bennett did not indicate that the application needed to be unsealed, according to court records.
After the shooting, McNairy said in the warrant application that he arrived at the scene and saw “in plain view” several small plastic bags containing “a white crystal-like substance” (three in the center of the dashboard and one on the passenger floorboard). McNeely said he believes the contents of the bag are consistent with methamphetamine.
He also said the evidence in the small bag meant there was “probable cause” that a federal crime had been violated, according to the warrant application.
Houston authorities are asking for evidence related to the shooting of Salgado Araujo to be shared. Houston Mayor John Whitmore called for an independent investigation, saying the FBI had evidence that local police would normally use to investigate similar shootings, but that the FBI was not sharing the material.
U.S. attorney outlines preliminary explanation for Houston shootings
On July 16, more than a week after the shooting, Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, released a statement outlining a preliminary explanation of the events leading up to the incident and the subsequent search of the van.
On July 7, federal agents were searching for two Guatemalan men who had previously evaded arrest and were believed to be driving a white van, Reitz said. Reitz said officers spotted a man matching the description of the suspect and attempted to stop a van matching the description, but the vehicle fled after making a U-turn and crossing a median. Officers did not pursue him at the time.
Later that morning, officers encountered the van again and surrounded it after the occupants allegedly tried to flee again, Wrights said. Two officers got out of the vehicle and instructed the occupants to park the van in the parking lot. Wrights said preliminary information indicates the driver put the van in reverse and then drove it forward while “officers were part of or immediately adjacent to the van.”
“During a confrontation between federal agents and a group of illegal aliens attempting to flee, one of the agents fired a single shot,” Wrights said. Reitz said the bullet struck Salgado Araujo, who was given first aid by police and taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Three people who were in the van with Salgado Araujo disputed ICE’s account of the shooting, calling it “completely false.”
Wrights also said officers observed “several small bags containing a white crystal-like substance” inside the van, prompting the FBI to execute a search warrant on July 15 “in connection with drug trafficking and possible drug crimes.”
“Again, this assessment is based on preliminary information provided to my office,” Reitz said. “We have not reached any definitive conclusions and believe that federal law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation.”
