FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Damon Parrish II, Attorney
President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
(281) 619-4191
Sylvia Escobedo, Attorney
Vice-President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
(713) 574-6730
Download copy of Press Release
Statement on behalf of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association regarding the shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Houston, Texas – July 26, 2026 — On July 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by Federal ICE Agents while he was on his way to work. ICE Agents were driving two unmarked vehicles (dark SUVs), with no visible emergency lights, when they pursued the vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. One SUV followed Araujo’s van when it turned onto Canal Street, while the other SUV continued down Wayside Drive before circling back and driving in the oncoming lane, to where Araujo’s van was present.
Araujo was not the target of an ICE investigation or any other criminal investigation. He had no criminal record, and he was trying to obtain legal residency. Regardless of his citizenship status, the investigation of his death deserves truth and transparency.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office had stated that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo died from a “penetrating gunshot wound of the torso.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the officers involved had not been issued body worn cameras, so there is no bodycam footage documenting how the agents approached the van, whether they identified themselves, or what transpired prior to the shooting of Araujo, who was unarmed. Additionally, no dash camera videos or any other videos from the officers involved have been released.
Witnesses who were with Araujo at the time have stated the agents did not identify themselves as they pulled the occupants out of Araujo’s van.
Furthermore, following the killing of Araujo, Federal agents attempted to publish a false narrative and tarnish Araujo’s reputation by claiming that Araujo may have had illegal drugs in his vehicle when he was shot and killed. The FBI’s application for a search warrant of Araujo’s vehicle alleged they had reason to believe that illegal drugs, consistent with methamphetamines, were found in Araujo’s vehicle. Specifically, an FBI Special Agent filed a warrant application a week after the shooting citing probable cause for “distribution, manufacturing, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.” This statement was released to the media and published even though no chemical testing was positive for illegal drugs.
Araujo was not the target of any illegal drug activity.
Araujo’s family responded to these accusations stating that the substance found in his van was homemade electrolytes that Araujo would make to stay hydrated while working outside in the hot Texas summer.
The substances were finally tested by a crime lab, revealing that no illegal drugs were present.
Additionally, Federal officials made attempts to deport material witnesses to the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. A judge has denied their request for deportation.
To date, the public has been denied transparency regarding the events surrounding the death of Araujo. Questions remain as to why Araujo was shot and killed after being pursued by ICE agents driving unmarked vehicles.
This is a non-partisan issue. This is about the rule of law. The shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is important to all persons living in the United States because we are all entitled to equal protection under the law.
Our Nation’s founding principles do not belong only to citizens. No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
If Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was unlawfully deprived of his life by government officials, then this is not only a tragedy for one family. It is a challenge to the rule of law itself, and it affects all persons in the United States of America.
When allegations arise that government officials have used unlawful deadly force, the public deserves answers, the family deserves the truth, and justice demands transparency and accountability.
Seeking accountability is not anti-law enforcement. It is pro-Constitution. It is pro-rule of law. It is pro-America, regardless of party affiliation.
Our legal system is built on the foundation that every person is entitled to due process, and that government power is limited by law. Those ideals must not depend upon nationality, immigration status, or public opinion.
HCCLA expresses our sympathies to the family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
We are calling for truth and transparency in this investigation. Justice for any person cannot be had without a full and honest investigation.
###
About the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
The Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (“HCCLA”) is the largest local criminal defense bar in the United States, with more than 650 active members engaged in the defense of citizens accused of criminal acts. HCCLA has, for over 55 years, stood for criminal justice and criminal justice reform, and against government and judicial overreach.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Damon Parrish II, Attorney
President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
(281) 619-4191
Sylvia Escobedo, Attorney
Vice-President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
(713) 574-6730