Bags in vehicle of man fatally shot by ICE did not contain drugs, Texas DA says

HOUSTON — A substance investigators found in a van driven by a man fatally shot by ICE earlier this month was not an illegal narcotic, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

HOUSTON — A substance investigators found in a van driven by a man fatally shot by ICE earlier this month was not an illegal narcotic, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

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Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 51-year-old father of three, was fatally shot by an ICE law enforcement officer during a July 7 traffic stop the agency said turned life-threatening. The government has alleged he weaponized the vehicle, but that argument has been disputed by others in the van.

After the fatal shooting, an FBI agent said small bags consistent with drug packaging that contained a substance resembling methamphetamine could be seen in plain view inside the vehicle. The bureau obtained a search warrant, allowing agents to search the van.