FBI says Mexican man shot dead by ICE had drugs in his car. His family’s lawyer says it was salt

Key Points:

• A substance initially alleged by federal authorities to be methamphetamine in the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by ICE agents in Texas, was clarified by his family’s attorney to be homemade salt-based electrolyte mix for hydration.
• Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old construction worker, was shot on July 7 after ICE agents attempted to stop his van, which reportedly fled the scene; the shooting occurred when the vehicle was surrounded and allegedly shifted in reverse and forward near an officer.
• Witnesses contest the official account, stating officers did not identify themselves and that the fatal shot was fired through the front passenger window, raising questions about the circumstances of the shooting.
• Harris County District Attorney expressed doubts about the presence of illegal drugs in the van, noting inconsistencies with the passengers' information, while advocates highlight the common practice among outdoor workers of mixing salt into water to stay hydrated in extreme heat.
• The family and their attorney criticized the premature public release of the search warrant and drug allegations, concerned it could bias public opinion before toxicology results were finalized.