Laboratory testing found the substance was derived from Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s truck was not filled with narcotics or any other illegal substance, according to U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
The update comes weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents fatally shot Salgado in Houston. As the FBI continues to investigate the matter, his family has argued that speculation surrounding the substance has unfairly damaged his reputation.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that testing came back negative for drugs. Prosecutors declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
The FBI, which is leading the federal investigation into the July 7 shooting, has not revealed what the substance was, saying only that the investigation is ongoing.
“The attempt to cast a shadow over Lorenzo Salgado’s name failed.”
Rep. Sylvia Garcia announced the findings on social media, saying they supported the views Salgado’s relatives have maintained from the beginning.
“We can now confirm that the substance found in Lorenzo Salgado’s van was not a narcotic or any other illegal substance,” she wrote in an
“The attempt to cast a shadow over Lorenzo Salgado’s name failed,” she wrote.
Ruby Bowers, an attorney representing the Salgado family, said the Salgado family has been informed that the Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed the preliminary laboratory findings.
Bowers said in a statement that preliminary reports indicate the substance was not a controlled substance. She believes unsubstantiated claims circulating before the tests were completed diverted attention from the central issue.
“Lorenzo was shot and there was no lab report to answer that,” Powers said.
Bowles also called on ICE to release Salgado’s brother Victor. She reiterated the family’s demand for an independent investigation into the shooting.
FBI investigation into ICE shooting continues
On July 7, a shooting occurred near Magnolia Park in Houston during an ICE operation near Canal Street.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Salgado tried to drive the truck toward an ICE agent, causing the agent to open fire. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that the shootings occurred after agents faced an immediate threat.
Salgado’s family disputes that claim. They argued that he did not intentionally try to attack an officer and questioned the use of deadly force. ICE later said Salgado was not the intended target of the enforcement operation.
The FBI has not yet released body camera footage, forensic findings or additional details about the substances recovered from the vehicle.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus traveled to Houston on Friday to hear testimony from witnesses, community leaders and Salgado’s family about the shooting
