Federal agents at scene of ICE shooting in Houston didn’t have body cameras, DHS says

Federal agents at scene of ICE shooting in Houston didn’t have body cameras, DHS says 1 of 4 | A makeshift memorial for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer Tuesday, is shown Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) 2 of 4 | A woman holds up a sign during a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal immigration agent a day prior, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Mark Felix) 3 of 4 | Mourners hold candles during a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal immigration agent a day prior, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Mark Felix) 4 of 4 | Ronaldo Salgado and Lorenzo Jr., sons of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, hold a photograph of their father during a news conference Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) By REBECCA SANTANA and JACK BROOK Updated 1:09 AM MESZ, July 10, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Federal agents did not have body-worn cameras when a U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a Mexican homebuilder who was driving a work van they tried pulling over in Houston, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. Separately, prosecutors in Houston said they are investigating the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whose family has joined Democrats in calling for an independent probe over Tuesday’s early morning shooting in one of the city’s heavily Hispanic neighborhoods. Few photos or videos surrounding the shooting have emerged publicly in the days since the encounter between Salgado Araujo and ICE agents, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers. The family of Salgado Araujo, who had lived in the U.S. for more than 35 years, has questioned ICE’s account and called on the agency to release evidence. In a statement, DHS said the agents at the scene in Houston had not yet been issued body cameras, which it blamed on Democrats and a record government shutdown that was fueled by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. DHS, which oversees ICE, has said federal officers were conducting a targeted operation to arrest a person in the country without legal status when they attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Salgado Araujo. The agency has said Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle and that a federal officer fired a weapon in self-defense. Asked whether ICE agents had been specifically targeting Salgado Araujo, DHS said Thursday that officers had been surveilling a property where they had previously observed two white vans. What to know about the fatal shooting of a Houston man by an ICE officer 4 MIN READ 16 Federal immigration agent fatally shoots man in Houston during an enforcement operation 2 MIN READ Family demands an independent probe after ICE officer fatally shoots a man in Houston 2 MIN READ “On July 7, officers were almost at the target’s address when they observed a white van with an individual who resembled the target. Officers then initiated the vehicle stop,” the department said. Salgado Araujo had no criminal record and was close to obtaining a work permit after living in the U.S. for more than three decades without legal status, his family has said. The Harris County District Attorney’s office said it would conduct an investigation into the shooting. The office is consulting with local prosecutors in Minneapolis, where federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, to learn how they have navigated investigations into federal immigration agents, spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre said. “Although access to key evidence remains under federal control, we are pursuing investigative avenues available to us and will conduct a review of any information we collect within our reach,” Lemaitre said in an emailed statement. Three men, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, were detained by ICE during the fatal traffic stop, according to Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, who has been communicating with their families. LULAC has yet to obtain video footage that clearly shows what happened during the moments of the shooting and has offered a reward of $5,000 for information from witnesses, Proaño told The Associated Press. The position of Salgado Araujo’s van and ICE vehicles has obstructed security camera footage LULAC has reviewed, he added. “It’s going to make it even more difficult to find the truth in all this,” he said. DHS said the ICE agents involved in the incident were expected to receive body-worn cameras in the next 60 days. In the aftermath of the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Democrats had refused to fund ICE and the Border Patrol without changes to those operations designed to increase accountability and transparency. Republicans in Congress eventually passed legislation funding just ICE and CBP for three years. REBECCA SANTANA Santana reports on the Department of Homeland Security, immigration policy and the federal agencies that touch on immigration. She’s reported on refugee resettlement, ICE operations and employment-based immigration and is reachable on Signal at RebeccaSantana.51. twitter mailto JACK BROOK Based in New Orleans, Brook covers Louisiana with a focus on state government, environmental issues and infrastructure. He is a Report for America corps member and can be reached on the secure messaging app Signal at jackbrook.88 twitter instagram mailto