Substance in ICE Shooting Victim's Van Tests Negative

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant and construction worker, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston on July 7 after living in the U.S. for 35 years. Following the incident, federal officials claimed that a substance found in his work van likely contained methamphetamine.

However, on Friday, the Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare's office announced that tests confirmed the substance was negative for narcotics or illicit drugs. This revelation contradicts the FBI's earlier affidavit, which suggested the presence of meth.

The family of Salgado Araujo maintained that the substance was likely granulated salt, used by construction workers for hydration. David Donatti, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas representing the family, criticized the federal government for creating a false narrative.

Both the FBI and ICE's internal oversight office are reviewing the shooting, while Teare's office is conducting its own investigation and is prepared to prosecute ICE agents if wrongdoing is found.