HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) — The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas on Wednesday released the federal government's first detailed account of the fatal July 7 shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston, while Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, whose precinct includes the unincorporated Katy area in Harris County, continued to call for a transparent investigation and criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.
Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing and cautioned that his office has reached no final conclusions.
According to Reitz, federal officers from multiple agencies were searching for two Guatemalan men believed to be driving a white van. Authorities said the men had previously evaded arrest and were believed to be subject to deportation.
Reitz said officers first attempted to stop what they believed was the suspects' vehicle after receiving a report of a similar white van in the area. He said the occupants fled by making a rapid U-turn and driving over a median, and agents decided not to pursue.
Later that morning, officers again located the van and surrounded it after its occupants allegedly attempted to flee a second time.
According to Reitz, two of the four federal officers exited their vehicles and ordered the occupants to put the van in park. Preliminary information indicates the driver shifted the vehicle into reverse and then forward while an officer was partially inside the van or immediately beside it.
"During this confrontation between federal agents and a group of illegal aliens attempting to flee, one of the officers fired a single shot," Reitz said in a recorded statement.
The shot struck Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Reitz said the other federal officers on the scene immediately rendered first aid before Salgado was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Reitz also said officers observed several small bags containing what appeared to be a white crystalline substance inside the van. Based on that observation, the FBI executed a search warrant on the vehicle as part of a possible narcotics investigation.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney's Office and state and local law enforcement partners.
"I want to reiterate: This assessment is based on preliminary information given to my office," Reitz said. "We draw no decisive conclusions and believe federal law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation."
Briones criticizes immigration enforcement
In statements released following the shooting, Briones expressed sympathy for Salgado's family while criticizing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.
"We have learned of reports regarding a deadly shooting involving ICE agents today in Houston," Briones said. "The Trump administration has broken public trust and constitutional rights with its extremist immigration enforcement."
She said she supports "a thorough, transparent, and accurate review for the public to see exactly what happened," adding, "We are a nation of laws, and we must always demand justice."
In a subsequent statement, Briones noted that Salgado "was not the intended target" of the federal operation.
"This makes his death even more devastating," she said. "We must continue demanding a full, transparent investigation because Lorenzo's family and our Houston community deserve the truth."
Briones also called for "answers, accountability, and an end to the chaos the Trump Administration is wreaking across this nation."
Investigation remains active
Federal authorities have not announced whether any officers will face charges, nor have they released the identity of the officer who fired the fatal shot.
Federal officials have said the investigation remains active and that no final conclusions have been reached regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting or whether the use of deadly force was legally justified.