FBI claimed there were drugs inside van involved in Houston ICE shooting, DA says: ‘We don’t believe that they are drugs’

A substance collected from the van where Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston is likely just salt, according to an attorney representing one of the passengers, CNN reported. This development counters earlier assertions from the FBI, which had filed a warrant application suggesting the substance found in the vehicle was illegal drugs.

Ruby Powers, the attorney for passenger Victor Salgado, stated that after consulting with her client and his family, they believe the substance is granulated salt. She explained that this salt is typically used by outdoor workers as part of a homemade electrolyte mix with lemon and water to combat the extreme Texas heat.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare also publicly cast doubt on the FBI’s drug claim. During a Thursday morning interview, Teare said that based on information currently held by his office and a visual inspection of the evidence collected, he does not believe the substance is drugs. He noted that the FBI is expected to conduct testing on the material within the next few days.

FBI’s drug claim was raised in a court document

Teare emphasized that even if the substance were drugs, it should have no bearing on the ongoing investigations into whether the shooting of the 52-year-old was justified. He also stated that the nature of the substance is irrelevant to the question of whether the initial traffic stop on July 7 was warranted.

The district attorney expressed concern that federal authorities might attempt to use the drug allegations as a basis to remove the surviving passengers from the country. To protect the integrity of the investigation, his office has already certified U visa requests for the three passengers, officially designating them as material witnesses.

The FBI’s initial warrant application, authored by Special Agent David McNielly, claimed that small plastic bags containing a white crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine were observed on the vehicle’s dashboard. The warrant was filed on Tuesday and was initially sealed before being unsealed, a move Teare described as unusual for such a high-profile, active investigation. The timing of this disclosure, occurring just days before Salgado Araujo’s funeral, has drawn sharp criticism from advocates who suggest it serves as a smear campaign to influence public opinion.

The fatal encounter occurred during what ICE described as a targeted enforcement operation. While the agency claimed Salgado Araujo rammed a law enforcement vehicle and forced an agent to fire in self-defense, this version of events is disputed. Passengers in the van and other witnesses have alleged that agents never identified themselves and that the shooting was unprovoked. Because the agents involved were not wearing body-worn cameras, the conflicting accounts remain a central point of contention.

Salgado Araujo, who had lived in the United States for nearly 35 years, was reportedly on his way to work with his construction crew at the time of the shooting. His family and legal representatives are calling for an expedited testing of the substance to clear his name.

As Powers noted, no test result can change the reality that deadly force was used, and she reiterated that investigators cannot justify shooting first and asking questions later. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General are currently conducting investigations into the incident.