Investigations in Texas
The image depicts a police operation on Canal Street in Houston following the gunfire.
© dpa/Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle
A person has been killed during a controversial operation by the US immigration agency ICE. The official claim of “self-defense” remains tenuous.
Following the fatal shooting of a Mexican national during an operation conducted by the controversial US immigration agency ICE, eyewitnesses have contradicted the official narrative that it was an act of “self-defense.” The witnesses’ attorney, Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, stated on Friday that the Mexican individual did not use his vehicle as a “deadly weapon,” as claimed by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
Witnesses confirmed that the ICE officer was never directly in front of the Mexican’s vehicle. Instead, he shot into the car from the side, striking Lorenzo Salgado, who later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security had earlier indicated that the Mexican tried to evade arrest during a control operation in Houston and allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon against an ICE employee. Consequently, the ICE officer purportedly acted in “self-defense.”
Was Salgado a Victim of Mistaken Identity?
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Salgado did not possess a valid residency permit. However, family members revealed that he had lived in the US for nearly 35 years and had applied for a work permit for his small construction business. Reports suggest that Salgado may have been a victim of mistaken identity, as ICE was allegedly searching for another individual.
Editorial Recommendations
This incident marks the first deadly shooting by ICE personnel since the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January, who lost their lives in separate incidents in Minneapolis. An ICE officer is also blamed for the death of the mother of three, Good, while Pretti’s death involved a border patrol officer. These fatalities have intensified protests against mass deportations under President Donald Trump and against ICE itself.
