A few weeks ago, the community was shaken by the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 51-year-old father and construction worker. Lorenzo was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop in Houston. At the time, it was suggested he might have had drugs in his vehicle, but today authorities confirmed that was completely false.
The Test Results: It Was Just Salt
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office officially announced on Friday, July 24, 2026, that the laboratory tests came back negative. The small bags that agents claimed looked like drugs were actually granulated salt.
Because Lorenzo worked all day building houses under the intense Texas sun, he used that salt mixed with lemon and water to make a homemade drink to avoid dehydration. His family and friends always maintained he was a good, hardworking man and that the idea of him carrying drugs was “absurd.“
Criticism of Authorities’ Actions
District Attorney Sean Teare expressed deep surprise at how quickly the FBI publicized the drug suspicions before having the actual test results. During a meeting with lawmakers on July 24, 2026, DA Teare commented:
“To unseal [the search warrant application] the same day it is signed, I have never seen that in my 20 years.”
For his part, the victim’s son, Lorenzo Salgado Jr., defended his father’s name during that same public hearing, stating:
“He didn’t use drugs. He hated them.”
Doubts About What Really Happened
Although immigration agents claim Lorenzo attempted to attack them with the truck, the passengers who were in the vehicle with him assure that this is not true and that he was simply trying to park.
Unfortunately, the ICE agents on the scene were not wearing body cameras, meaning there is no official video to show step-by-step how the tragedy unfolded. The family and immigrant advocacy groups, such as the ACLU, are demanding the full truth and demanding an end to attempts to smear a worker’s name to cover up mistakes.
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