HOUSTON — A substance discovered inside the vehicle of a man who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer earlier this month was not an illegal narcotic, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, adding a new development to a case that has drawn significant public attention and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the deadly encounter.
The man, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 51, was a father of three who was killed during a traffic stop on July 7 in Texas. ICE has maintained that one of its officers opened fire after the situation became life-threatening, alleging that Salgado Araujo used his vehicle as a weapon. However, that account has been challenged by other individuals who were riding in the van at the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors: Substance Was Not an Illegal Drug
In a statement released Friday, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that laboratory testing determined the substance recovered from the van was not an illegal controlled substance.
The finding contradicts initial suspicions raised immediately after the shooting. According to an FBI affidavit filed in support of a search warrant, investigators observed several small plastic bags inside the vehicle that appeared to contain a substance resembling methamphetamine. Because the packaging was considered consistent with how narcotics are sometimes distributed, federal agents sought and obtained a warrant to search the van.
Subsequent testing, however, determined that the material was not an illegal drug, prosecutors said.
Family Attorney Disputes Initial Claims
An attorney representing Salgado Araujo’s family has consistently argued that the substance was ordinary salt, not narcotics.
According to the attorney, the bags contained salt that workers often carry during periods of extreme heat to help replenish electrolytes and reduce the risk of heat-related illness while working outdoors in Texas’ high summer temperatures.
The latest findings from prosecutors appear to support the family’s assertion that the substance was not connected to illegal drug activity.
Conflicting Accounts of the Shooting
The fatal encounter remains under investigation, with key facts still disputed.
ICE has said the traffic stop escalated when Salgado Araujo allegedly drove the van in a manner that endangered officers, prompting an ICE law enforcement officer to fire his weapon in what the agency described as a response to a life-threatening situation.
However, passengers who were inside the vehicle have disputed that characterization, questioning whether the van posed the level of danger described by federal authorities.
The differing accounts have become central to ongoing scrutiny of the shooting and could play an important role in determining whether the officer’s use of deadly force was justified.
Investigation Continues
Following the shooting, the FBI secured a search warrant to examine the van after investigators reported seeing the small plastic bags in plain view. While the initial appearance of the substance prompted suspicion of methamphetamine, forensic testing has now ruled out that possibility.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has not indicated that any drug-related charges are connected to the case.
Meanwhile, investigations into the circumstances of the shooting remain ongoing. Authorities have not announced whether additional findings or decisions regarding the officer’s actions will be released in the coming weeks.
The confirmation that the substance was not an illegal narcotic removes one aspect of uncertainty from the case, but significant questions surrounding the events that led to Salgado Araujo’s death continue to be examined by investigators.
