Houston prosecutor says van substance linked to ICE shooting tested negative for drugs
Tests on a white powder found in the work van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by an ICE officer, returned negative for illicit drugs, contradicting earlier FBI claims.
A Harris County prosecutor announced Friday that laboratory analysis found the white substance discovered in the work van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo negative for narcotics or other illicit drugs. The finding challenges an earlier FBI affidavit that suggested the powder could be methamphetamine.
Salgado Araujo, a 35-year-old Mexican immigrant who had lived in the United States for 35 years, was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on July 7 in Houston after a traffic stop. ICE officials said the vehicle had been "weaponized" and that the officer acted in self-defense. The other occupants of the van, who remain in ICE custody, dispute that account.
The FBI affidavit, filed a week after the shooting, included exterior photos of small bags containing a white, crystal-like material and described it as consistent with methamphetamine. However, the Harris County District Attorney’s office said the test results, now released, show no narcotics present. The office declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation, and said it had informed Salgado Araujo’s family of the results.
Family representatives have maintained the powder was likely granulated salt used to make a homemade electrolyte mix for construction work in hot weather. The ACLU of Texas, representing the family, criticized the federal narrative, stating the government appeared more focused on shaping a story than uncovering facts.
Both the FBI and ICE’s internal oversight office are reviewing the July 7 shooting, while the district attorney’s office conducts its own probe and indicated readiness to bring charges if criminal conduct is found. ICE has stated Salgado Araujo was in the country illegally but has not contested the claim that he had no prior criminal record.
Salgado Araujo’s sons, U.S. citizens, described their father as a diligent worker who valued music, family, and the opportunity to improve his family’s future in America.