An attorney for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family says a crystal-like substance found inside his work van was salt, not an illegal drug. No public laboratory result had confirmed the material’s identity as of Friday, July 17.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Salgado Araujo, 52, during a July 7 vehicle stop in Houston. The FBI later obtained a warrant to search the van after an agent noticed four bags containing a white substance.
Ruby Powers, an attorney representing Salgado Araujo’s brother, said the construction workers carried granulated salt during outdoor jobs. They mixed it with lemon and water to make a basic electrolyte drink during Houston’s intense summer heat.
Powers has asked investigators to test the material quickly and release the results. She maintains that the substance was granulated salt, although federal testing has not publicly verified that claim.
FBI Sought Van Search
An FBI agent described seeing three small plastic bags near the center dashboard of Salgado Araujo’s Ford Transit. A fourth bag was visible on the passenger-side floorboard.
The agent said the substance appeared consistent with methamphetamine based on its packaging and appearance. That observation supported a federal application to search the vehicle for possible evidence of drug crimes.
The affidavit did not contain a laboratory analysis confirming methamphetamine. It also did not establish that Salgado Araujo or his passengers knowingly possessed an illegal substance.
A federal judge approved the search warrant on Tuesday, July 14. Investigators then searched the van and collected material for examination.
Court documents described four bags inside the van, but authorities had not announced drug charges against the surviving passengers by Friday.
U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz said investigators had not reached final conclusions about the shooting or the substance. He urged the public to allow the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to complete their investigations.
ICE Stop Ended Fatally
Federal officials said immigration officers were searching for two Guatemalan men associated with a similar white van. Agents encountered Salgado Araujo’s vehicle while traveling toward an address connected to their intended targets.
Salgado Araujo and his three passengers were Mexican. A federal official later confirmed that Salgado was not targeted in the immigration operation.
Officials said agents initially activated emergency lights to stop the van. Salgado Araujo allegedly made a quick U-turn, crossed a median, and drove from the area.
The agents encountered the van again and positioned federal vehicles around it. Two officers got out and ordered the occupants to put the van in park.
Reitz said preliminary evidence indicated that Salgado Araujo shifted into reverse and then drove forward. An officer was partly inside the vehicle or standing directly beside it, he said.
One officer fired a single shot, striking Salgado Araujo. Federal agents provided medical aid before emergency workers took him to a hospital, where he died.
The Justice Department stressed that the federal account remained preliminary. Investigators are still examining the officers’ actions and the van’s movements.
Passengers Dispute Federal Account
The three construction workers inside the van have challenged the government’s description of the shooting. Their attorneys said no federal officer stood in front of the vehicle or faced an immediate threat.
The witnesses said the fatal shot came through the passenger side of the van. They also said federal vehicles had surrounded or struck Salgado Araujo’s vehicle before the officer fired.
No publicly released video captures the exact moment of the shooting. Nearby surveillance cameras recorded parts of the encounter, but the available footage does not provide a complete view.
The federal officers involved were not wearing body cameras. The ICE vehicles also lacked dashboard cameras that could have documented the shooting from the agents’ perspective.
DHS confirmed that officers lacked body cameras, leaving investigators dependent on witness interviews, physical evidence, and outside surveillance recordings.
The passengers remained in federal immigration custody after the shooting. Their attorneys have sought their release and warned that immigration proceedings could interfere with their availability as witnesses.
Salgado Araujo Lived Decades in Houston
Salgado Araujo was a Mexican national who had lived in the United States for 35 years. He worked in residential construction and was driving his crew to a job when agents stopped the van.
His family said he had no criminal record and was pursuing legal immigration status through his adult children. He was the father of three sons.
A public visitation was held in Houston on Thursday, July 16. Hundreds of community members attended as the family continued calling for an independent and transparent review.
The family held a public visitation while federal, state, and county authorities continued examining the shooting.
County Investigation Moves Forward
The FBI is investigating whether an assault occurred against a federal officer. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is conducting a separate review of the ICE operation.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has also opened an investigation. His office is examining the case as a potential criminal matter rather than relying entirely on the federal review.
Teare said county investigators initially lacked basic information, including the identities of the agents present. He warned that completing the inquiry could take months or years.
Harris County officials have promised funding for an independent examination of the evidence. That work may include reviewing bullet trajectory, vehicle damage, surveillance footage, medical findings, and officer positioning.
The county opened a criminal investigation to determine who fired and whether the use of deadly force complied with the law.
The identity of the substance remains a separate investigative issue. A confirmed test could establish whether the bags contained salt, methamphetamine, or another material.
As of Friday, authorities had not publicly released a laboratory result, identified the officer who fired, or announced drug charges. The federal and Harris County investigations remain active.
