Federal investigators suspect that illegal drugs were inside a vehicle during a recent encounter in Houston, although immigration agents involved did not appear to be aware of this. This situation is currently under investigation by the FBI, according to a search warrant application.
The warrant application was filed in Houston federal court and detailed the search for controlled substances. It included photographs depicting small bags found inside a white Ford Transit cargo van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52. He was on his way to a construction job with three other passengers when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began following them. The pursuit ended with Mr. Salgado Araujo being shot in the abdomen by an agent, resulting in his death.
Special Agent David McNeilly expressed that all facts related to the incident are being collected, including understanding why the vehicle occupants might have fled. According to the Department of Homeland Security, neither Mr. Salgado Araujo nor his passengers were the intended targets in the immigration enforcement action. Agents were searching for a different individual.
While drugs were not the cause of the encounter, there was no implication that agents suspected the presence of drugs on that day. There is also no prior evidence or criminal history suggesting Mr. Salgado Araujo or his companions were involved with drugs.