Daijiworld Media Network - Houston

Houston, Jul 11: Three men who say they witnessed the fatal shooting of a Mexican national by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent have challenged the agency's version of events, alleging that officials falsely claimed the victim attempted to run over an officer.

Jose Trinidad Rojas, Daniel Tirado Pantoja and Victor Salgado, who were with their co-worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo when he was shot on Jul 7 in Houston, spoke publicly through their attorney on Friday, disputing ICE's account of the incident.

According to ICE, agents had mistakenly targeted the 52-year-old Mexican national while searching for another individual. The agency claimed Salgado Araujo refused repeated verbal commands and attempted to "weaponise his vehicle" by driving it towards an officer, prompting the agent to open fire in self-defence.

However, attorney Hugo Balderas-Ibarra said his clients' testimony directly contradicts that version.

"I can tell you with conviction that my clients' version of the events are extremely different from what ICE agents are saying," Balderas-Ibarra told reporters.

"All three of my clients reiterated that at no point was there ever an agent standing in front of the vehicle, nor was an agent ever placed in the line of danger. That is simply false," he said.

Balderas-Ibarra further alleged that the fatal shot was fired from the side of Salgado Araujo's white van, not from its front.

There is no publicly available video of the shooting. US Representative Sylvia Garcia said the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras and that their vehicles were not equipped with dashboard cameras.

In its earlier statement, ICE maintained that the officer discharged his weapon "in self-defence" to protect himself, fellow officers and the public after Salgado Araujo allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon.

Balderas-Ibarra criticised the agency's explanation, claiming it closely resembled official accounts given in previous fatal ICE shootings, including those involving Renee Good in Minneapolis in January and Marimar Martinez in Chicago in October 2025.

The lawyer also expressed concern that his clients, who remain in ICE custody, could be pressured into signing voluntary deportation documents before they have an opportunity to testify.

"Given the magnitude of this case and the implications that it carries, my clients may be pressured into signing documentation for their voluntary departure. It is extremely important that we preserve the integrity of this investigation. That will all be out the window if they are deported," he said.

Salgado Araujo's family has also appealed for the release of the three witnesses, saying their testimony could be crucial in establishing what happened.

ICE said its Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Houston is separately probing the alleged assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

The incident has also prompted Houston Mayor John Whitmire to call for an independent investigation.

"I was chairman of criminal justice in Austin for 30 years, involved in many investigations and oversight reviews of police action. None are more egregious than the one that ICE brought to Houston Tuesday morning some 80 hours ago," Whitmire said.

He alleged that Salgado Araujo had been pursued by an unmarked vehicle before he could identify those following him and described the shooting as deeply troubling.

The mayor pledged that the city would use all available investigative resources to examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.