HOUSTON, Texas — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Mexican illegal alien in Houston on Tuesday. The shooting came during a targeted enforcement operation where the Mexican national allegedly attempted to flee and then reportedly attempted to run over an officer with his vehicle.
ICE officials identified the decedent as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States. The shooting took place on the city’s east side.
In a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas, ICE officials said they were attempting a vehicle stop as part of a “targeted immigration enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien.”
“From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer, resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” the ICE official statement reads.
“From information we are receiving,” the statement continues, “he [Araujo] rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer, resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense.”
The Mexican national was treated at the scene and transported to Ben Taub Hospital, officials stated. He later died from what Houston Fire Department officials described as a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to a report by Fox 26 Houston.
ICE officials continued, stating:
The driver was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. The driver was transported to the hospital where he passed away from his injuries. DHS-OIG is leading an investigation into the agent-involved shooting. FBI Houston is leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers routinely conduct these targeted enforcement operations in and around the Houston Area.
In June, Breitbart Texas reported that ICE Houston ERO officers arrested 735 criminal aliens during the month of May. The arrests included nearly 1,200 violent criminal convictions. Those arrested included criminal aliens with convictions for murder, sex assault, child sex crimes, drug trafficking, and other violent offenses. The arrests also included violent criminal gang members.
Houston ERO acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said the numbers reflect “who we’re arresting every single month,” not an anomaly.
“We’re releasing this data not because it stands out from any other month, but because this is a snapshot of who we’re arresting every single month, as a result of the reckless immigration policies enacted by prior administrations that allowed gang members, murderers, child rapists and other violent criminal illegal aliens to flood into the country unvetted,” Director Martinez said. “The public needs to know that the aliens we’re targeting aren’t the harmless economic migrants that the mainstream media and elected officials try to portray. These are violent criminals who repeatedly violate our laws, and there’s no doubt if we don’t arrest and deport them from the U.S., they will continue to commit crimes, and more Americans will be victimized as a result.”
The local ICE director said these law enforcement operations should not be political because, “everyone should want these dangerous criminal illegal aliens removed from the community.”
At this time, information about any criminal history Araujo might have is not available.
Houston Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) responded to Tuesday’s shooting with the following statement, published by Fox 26 Houston:
The fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent during an operation in Houston’s East End this morning is deeply concerning. The use of deadly force demands full scrutiny and transparency. I am calling for a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the prompt release of all available video and investigative findings. The public deserves a timely account of what happened, clear answers, and accountability. My office has reached out to the appropriate City departments to determine what additional information is available and whether any City personnel or resources were involved in the incident.
State Representative Christina Morales (D-Houston) added:
Today, a man was shot and another was nearly run over by a vehicle. We’ve seen incidents like this around the country, and now they have come to Houston. This is not what immigration enforcement should look like. We need answers, and Congress must act with meaningful immigration reform that reduces unlawful border crossings, addresses the backlog of asylum cases, and creates a pathway to legal status. This incident took place in the Magnolia Park neighborhood, just a handful of miles from both House District 145 and the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest. Immigration enforcement should never put our communities in danger. People are afraid, and we demand answers and accountability. I join Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia in calling for an independent investigation into this matter.
The FBI will lead the investigation into the assault on the agents and the subsequent shooting.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story and additional information will be added as it becomes available.