Judge orders ICE to release witness in Houston shooting after drug claim dispute

Judge orders ICE to release witness in Houston shooting after drug claim dispute

On July 28, 2026, U. S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release a detained witness in the July 13, 2026 shooting of Mexican construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, citing Fifth Amendment due-process concerns. The shooting occurred when an ICE agent fatally shot Salgado in Houston.

The FBI’s warrant had alleged that bags of methamphetamine were found in the victim’s white cargo van, but prosecutors later reported that laboratory analysis showed the white powder to be a non-controlled electrolyte mix. Family attorneys maintained the substance was a salt-based electrolyte. Earlier, Judge Ellison had blocked the witness’s deportation while his habeas petition proceeded.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent David McNielly Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Victor Salgado Houston Mayor John Whitmire Harris County District Attorney’s Office U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Department of Homeland Security ACLU of Texas

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Articles

July 28, 2026
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Federal judge orders ICE to release key witness in Houston shooting
Federal judge orders ICE to release key witness in Houston shooting

CBS News • 28 Jul 10:42

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered the release of a detained witness in the fatal shooting of a Mexican homebuilder by an ICE officer, citing Fifth Amendment due-process concerns.

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July 25, 2026
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Texas DA says substance found in van of man shot by ICE tested negative for drugs
Texas DA says substance found in van of man shot by ICE tested negative for drugs

NBC News • 25 Jul 02:29

Harris County prosecutors reported that a powder seized from the vehicle of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was killed by an ICE officer in July, did not contain illegal narcotics, while family attorneys continue to dispute the government's narrative.

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Houston prosecutor says van substance linked to ICE shooting tested negative for drugs
Houston prosecutor says van substance linked to ICE shooting tested negative for drugs

CBS News • 25 Jul 00:07

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.

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July 24, 2026
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Tests show substance in Houston ICE shooting van was not illegal drugs
Tests show substance in Houston ICE shooting van was not illegal drugs

CNN • 24 Jul 22:00

Harris County prosecutors confirmed that laboratory analysis found the white powder seized from the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was killed by an ICE agent in July, was not a controlled substance.

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July 22, 2026
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Federal judge blocks deportation of witness in Houston ICE shooting
Federal judge blocks deportation of witness in Houston ICE shooting

NBC News • 22 Jul 13:20

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered that a witness in the July 7 shooting of a Mexican construction worker by ICE remain in Texas while his habeas petition proceeds.

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July 19, 2026
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DOJ unseals FBI search warrant in ICE shooting case, prompting criticism
DOJ unseals FBI search warrant in ICE shooting case, prompting criticism

CNN • 19 Jul 10:30

Legal analysts and immigration advocates question the Department of Justice's decision to make a search warrant public in the investigation of a Houston man killed by ICE officers, citing concerns of improper influence on the case.

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July 18, 2026
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Dispute Over Substance Found in Van of Mexican Man Killed by ICE Agent
Dispute Over Substance Found in Van of Mexican Man Killed by ICE Agent

The Independent • 18 Jul 17:08

Family attorneys say the white crystals seized from the victim's vehicle were a homemade electrolyte mix, not methamphetamine, while federal officials maintain the original drug claim.

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July 16, 2026
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FBI search warrant cites possible drug bags in van of man killed by ICE, family says substance was salt
FBI search warrant cites possible drug bags in van of man killed by ICE, family says substance was salt

NBC News • 16 Jul 18:02

The FBI’s warrant application claimed an agent saw bags that might contain drugs in the vehicle of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by ICE agents; his family’s lawyer says the material was a salt-based electrolyte mix.

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July 15, 2026
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FBI affidavit claims drugs were found in van after Houston ICE shooting
FBI affidavit claims drugs were found in van after Houston ICE shooting

CNN • 15 Jul 22:07

The FBI submitted a warrant alleging that a white cargo van involved in the fatal shooting of a 52-year-old man by an ICE agent contained bags of a substance identified as methamphetamine.

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FBI affidavit claims drugs were found in van after Houston ICE shooting
FBI affidavit claims drugs were found in van after Houston ICE shooting

CNN • 15 Jul 22:07

The FBI submitted a warrant alleging that a white cargo van involved in the fatal shooting of a 52-year-old man by an ICE agent contained bags of a substance identified as methamphetamine.

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