Harris County allocates $2.5 million to probe fatal Houston ICE shooting

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare disclosed that the office will allocate roughly $2.52 million across three years to examine the July 7 killing of 52-year-old construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Houston. The budget, approved unanimously by the county commissioners court and announced alongside County Judge Lina Hidalgo and commissioners Rodney Ellis and Lesley Briones, will fund additional prosecutors, investigators, overtime and technology upgrades.

Teare stressed that the investigation will proceed without assumptions about charges and will seek federal evidence, warning he will file a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. if ICE continues to withhold information, including the names of the agents involved. ICE maintains the victim “weaponized his vehicle,” a claim disputed by three passengers, two of whom are still detained in Conroe. The DA urged the release of those witnesses to obtain “the absolute truth.” The case remains pending, with no body-camera footage from the agents and limited local video.