Four Houston Democratic members of Congress on Thursday demanded an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Tuesday in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood, saying ICE has not released video evidence to support claims that Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle” to try to run over the agent who fired the fatal shot.
In the letter, sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director David Venturella, the lawmakers said the agencies’ account of the incident mirrors statements made after other fatal ICE encounters, including the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“DHS and ICE continue to lose the American people’s trust and confidence. Instead of answers and accountability, DHS and ICE released a statement echoing the same
stories we have heard before,” the letter says.
U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Lizzie Fletcher, Al Green and Christian Menefee also argued that the lack of video footage and limited public information on the shooting has left key questions unanswered.
The lawmakers demanded that DHS and ICE provide “complete and unedited” body camera footage for the officer who fired the deadly shot as well as footage from other officers present.
ICE claimed the agents attempted to stop Salgado Araujo’s vehicle as part of an unspecified “targeted enforcement operation,” then he attempted to ram an ICE vehicle and tried to run over the ICE agent.
But Salgado Araujo’s family and local officials dispute that account and say federal authorities have not provided evidence to support it.
His son, Ronaldo Salgado, said at a Wednesday press conference that his father may have panicked after unmarked cars followed him, suspecting that someone was trying to steal his van and his construction tools. The family says there is no eyewitness testimony or released video showing the alleged ramming, and that videos taken in the immediate aftermath of the shooting do not support ICE’s version of events.
Salgado Araujo had no previous criminal record. “Why was he a target?” Garcia asked
in an interview with Houston Public Media.
The Democrats’ letter asked what led to the targeted enforcement operation, who authorized it, what evidence supported the sequence of events leading to the shooting and how many DHS, ICE, FBI and other federal officers were in the immediate area.
The Texas Tribune is seeking any footage — cell phone video or other Instagram photos or posts — as well as tips related to the shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on July 7, 2025.
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Gov. Greg Abbott’s office declined to comment on the shooting.
“This is an active investigation and we have nothing to add,” said Andrew Mahaleris, Gov. Greg Abbott’s press secretary, “we are gonna let the investigation play out.”
After federal agents killed Good and Pretti in Minnesota, DHS released footage of Good’s shooting three days later and still has not released official video of the events leading up to Pretti’s death.
Disclosure: Houston Public Media has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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