Lawyer says substance found after fatal Houston ICE shooting was salt
Family Attorney Clarifies Salt Discovery in Houston ICE Shooting Investigation
Substance Found in Van Was for Hydration, Not Drugs
Lawyer says substance found after fatal - Ruby Powers, the legal representative for Victor Salgado, brother of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, is challenging claims that emerged following a search warrant application. The document referenced a potential narcotics discovery, but Powers maintains that the material recovered from a van connected to the case was simply salt intended for creating a homemade electrolyte beverage for laborers working outdoors.
The FBI's search warrant application, submitted on July 14, mentioned an unidentified "white crystal-like substance" discovered in small plastic containers located on both the dashboard and floorboard of the vehicle. According to Powers, after consulting with her client Victor Salgado and other family members, they believe the material was granulated salt mixed with lemon and water to assist workers in maintaining hydration during Texas's intense summer temperatures.
"Not methamphetamine or any other illicit substance," Powers stated in her July 16 statement. "A search warrant does not equate to guilt. An unidentified substance is not a confirmed narcotic."
Powers has requested that testing of the substance be accelerated, noting that the family desires "their names cleared" amid public speculation following the warrant application's release. She emphasized that whatever test results emerge would not alter "the fact that deadly force was used against Lorenzo."
Call for Independent Investigation and Witness Release
The attorney additionally demanded a comprehensive and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salgado Araujo's death. She also called for the release of his brother, whom she characterized as a crucial witness to the incident.
Salgado Araujo was traveling in a van with three other individuals, including his brother Victor, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers halted the vehicle on July 7. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Salgado Araujo was not the primary target of the operation. During the encounter, an officer fired upon him, and he subsequently passed away.
The warrant application, prepared by FBI Special Agent David McNeilly, sought permission to search the white Ford van following the fatal shooting of Salgado Araujo on the morning of July 7.
"The United States is currently gathering all facts related to this incident, including what may have caused the occupants of the vehicle to flee," McNeilly wrote in the warrant application. The application was intended to remain sealed but remained accessible for USA TODAY's review.
Federal Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett of Texas authorized the search warrant on the same day McNeilly submitted the application, which appeared in the federal case docket on July 15. Court records indicate that Bennett did not require the application to be unsealed.
Timeline of Events and Ongoing Questions
Following the shooting, McNeilly noted in the warrant application that he arrived at the scene and observed "in plain view" several small plastic bags containing a "white crystal-like substance" — three positioned in the center of the dashboard and one on the passenger floorboard. McNeilly expressed his belief that the bags' contents were consistent with methamphetamine.
He further stated that evidence of the small baggies indicated there was "probable cause" that federal crimes had been violated, according to the warrant application.
Houston officials have requested that evidence related to Salgado Araujo's shooting be shared with local authorities. Houston Mayor John Whitmore has advocated for an independent investigation, noting that the FBI possesses evidence that local police would typically utilize to investigate comparable shootings but has not been sharing those materials.
More than a week after the fatal shooting, Aaron Reitz, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, released a statement on July 16 providing a preliminary account of the events leading up to the incident and the subsequent search of the van.
According to Reitz, federal officers on July 7 were investigating two Guatemalan men who had previously evaded arrest and were believed to be operating a white van. Officers attempted to stop a van matching the description after spotting men who fit the suspects' descriptions, but the vehicle fled after making a U-turn and crossing a median, Reitz explained. Officers did not pursue at that time.
Later that morning, officers again encountered the van and surrounded it after its occupants allegedly attempted to flee a second time, Reitz said. Two officers exited their vehicles and instructed the occupants to put the van in park. Preliminary information indicates the driver shifted the van into reverse and then forward while "an officer was partially inside the van or immediately next to it," according to Reitz.
The distinction between salt and methamphetamine remains significant for the family, who want clarity on whether the substance discovery was properly contextualized. Powers continues to advocate for transparency in the investigation and hopes that the expedited testing will provide definitive answers for all parties involved.