FBI affidavit alleges drugs found in van involved in Houston ICE shooting

Key Points:

• The FBI filed a warrant application alleging probable cause to believe illegal drugs, consistent with methamphetamine, were in the vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston last week.
• The ICE agent involved claimed self-defense, but the officers were not wearing body cameras, and the initial statement has faced scrutiny; the FBI observed plastic bags with a white crystal-like substance on the vehicle’s dashboard after the shooting.
• The FBI search warrant was initially sealed but later unsealed during the ongoing investigation, which is unusual for such high-profile cases; the vehicle had not been searched prior to the warrant filing, but an FBI search was underway.
• The Department of Homeland Security has not stated that ICE agents knew about drugs in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, and toxicology results for Salgado Araujo have not been released; local Latino advocacy groups and the ACLU have criticized the investigation and called for an independent inquiry.
• Three men, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, who were in the vehicle at the time, have been detained but hold U Visa certifications protecting them from immediate deportation; legal representatives are deferring comment pending the investigation.