US Attorney reports no meth discovered in van belonging to Texas man shot by immigration officers.
A recent statement from federal authorities disclosed that chemical tests on a substance found in the work van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a man fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Houston, revealed the material was not methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz confirmed this information through a communication to the Texas Tribune, which indicated that the tests failed to identify the substance as meth.
While Reitz did not specify the composition of the substance, family representatives have described it as a homemade electrolyte mixture intended to keep Salgado Araujo and his construction crew hydrated during the intense summer heat.
On July 7, 2026, Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had resided in the U.S. without legal status for over three decades, was shot while driving his work crew to a construction site in Houston. The incident occurred after ICE officers pursued his white work van and opened fire through the vehicle’s window. Salgado Araujo was reportedly unarmed and had no prior legal issues.
His death marks one of at least ten fatalities resulting from immigration enforcement operations during President Donald Trump’s administration, igniting protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation into the circumstance of his shooting.
In the aftermath, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that Salgado Araujo had attempted to use his vehicle to harm an ICE officer, stating the officer acted in self-defense. The FBI subsequently executed a search warrant on Salgado Araujo’s van, claiming that several small bags contained what they believed was methamphetamine. However, two passengers who were with him at the time contradicted the official narrative, asserting that the ICE officers were never in imminent danger of being struck by the vehicle. They clarified that the officers were always positioned away from the front and back of the van.
Reitz explained that the ICE officers were conducting surveillance on two Guatemalan individuals who were suspected of being subject to deportation and were driving a vehicle resembling Salgado Araujo’s.
David Donatti, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Texas, which represents Salgado Araujo’s family, criticized the FBI’s search warrant as part of an effort to fabricate a narrative that justified the shooting. Donatti emphasized that Salgado Araujo was a hardworking individual who contributed to the community and highlighted that the electrolyte mixtures were a testament to his dedication to his job and crew. He called for accountability and thorough answers regarding the circumstances that led to the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, underlining the need for justice for the grieving family.
This tragic event continues to evoke outrage and raises critical questions surrounding immigration enforcement practices in the U.S.
