Passengers Describe ICE Shooting Incident in Houston, Claim Agents Rammed Their Van

Two passengers in a van involved in a fatal shooting by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Houston earlier this month provided written statements in federal court, claiming that unmarked vehicles struck their van before the shooting occurred. The incident, which resulted in the death of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, took place on July 7 in Houston's east side, a predominantly Latino area.

According to Daniel Tirado Pantoja, a rear passenger, the van had come to a full stop when agents fired. Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, another passenger, stated that they were cornered by the agents and that Salgado Araujo had believed he had lost them before he stopped the vehicle. After the shooting, Rojas Pliego reported that an agent violently pulled Salgado Araujo from the van and handcuffed him.

The ICE agents involved claimed that the shooting was in self-defense, asserting that Salgado Araujo attempted to hit one of the agents with the vehicle. However, the passengers disputed this account, stating that no agents were in front of or behind the van at the time of the shooting. The incident has drawn public scrutiny regarding ICE's tactics, particularly the use of unmarked vehicles and the absence of body cameras during the operation.

A federal judge has ordered that Rojas Pliego cannot be deported or transferred without court permission, while another petition regarding Tirado Pantoja is pending. The Department of Homeland Security has not provided further comments on the incident, and investigations are ongoing.