The third and final witness to the fatal shooting of Houston immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo at the hands of an ICE agent has been released from federal custody and reunited with his family.
Victor Hugo Salgado was set free on Sunday after spending 54 days at an ICE detention center in Conroe, his attorney Ruby Powers posted on social media. A protest and march scheduled for September 6, at Lions Park in Conroe calling for Salgado’s release has been canceled.
“We are incredibly grateful to see Victor free after more than 50 days of uncertainty and separation from his family,” Powers wrote on Instagram. “Our priority throughout this process has been advocating for his rights.”
Salgado’s older brother Araujo was driving to work on a home construction job on the morning of July 7 in the East End/Magnolia Park neighborhood when the shooting occurred. Araujo’s passengers — Salgado, Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and Daniel Tirado Pantoja — were all members of his work crew.
ICE agents claimed after the incident that Araujo was uncooperative when they tried to stop his vehicle and that he attempted to “weaponize” his van and run over an officer. The agents, who were not wearing body cameras and whose vehicles were not equipped with dash cams, admitted Araujo was not their intended target on the morning of the traffic stop. The name of the federal agent who fired the fatal shot has not been released.
The witnesses have disputed the claims that Araujo tried to harm an officer. The three workers were immediately detained by ICE after the incident. Pliego was released on July 28 and Pantoja was released on August 27. Their attorneys have argued that the men were not given due process and should be granted temporary U visas because they were witnesses to a potential crime and could offer pertinent information to the ongoing investigations. They could still be deported.
Independent investigations are being conducted by the Texas Rangers and Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who said last week he plans to present the case to a grand jury “very soon.” The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General is also investigating and has not shared evidence with Teare’s office, according to the DA.
Araujo’s son Ronaldo Salgado issued the following statement on Sunday afternoon:
“After 54 days, our uncle and my dad’s youngest brother, Victor Hugo Salgado, was released this morning. We picked him up from Montgomery Detention Center before noon. His first meal was chilaquiles from his favorite restaurant, just as his usual Sunday routine called for.
He is now with family, finally able to process the tragic loss he witnessed and the nearly two months spent in detention. My uncle wants to thank all the people in the city and around the world who have prayed for his release.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the attorney Ruby Powers and the rest of the team at Powers Law Group for their professionalism since the beginning of this tragedy. Additionally, we would also like to thank the Mexican Consulate of Houston for their incredibly generous support throughout this process.
We are more than happy that all three men who were in my dad’s van are finally with their families. Grieving is a process that is done better around loved ones, not inside a detention center. Today is a key step in justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
We ask that everyone respect my uncle’s and family’s privacy during this time. No additional statements or interviews will be provided during this time. Thank you. Familia Salgado”
The release of the three witnesses allows the men to “move forward outside of immigration detention” while the investigations and grand jury presentation unfold, Powers said.
“Victor’s release is an important moment but it is not the end of this fight,” she said. “The pursuit of truth, accountability and justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo continues, and we remain steadfast in protecting Victor’s immigration rights and standing alongside him and his family.”
