U.S. attorney confirms van bags from Houston ICE shooting were not meth

Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, confirmed that laboratory results found no methamphetamine in the baggies recovered from the van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by ICE officers on July 7. The FBI had obtained a search warrant a week after the killing, alleging the presence of "crystal-like substances," a claim that critics said was intended to damage the reputations of the victim and witnesses.

Lawyers for the family and local officials argue the bags held only salt mixed with water and lemon, used by construction workers to stay hydrated. The FBI and the prosecutor's office have not indicated if the test findings will become public, citing the active investigation. Representatives for the victim’s brother, Victor Salgado Araujo, and other passengers say the incident and subsequent legal actions aim to cast doubt on their character, despite witnesses asserting the ICE vehicles struck the van from behind. Only one passenger, José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, has been released, while Victor Salgado Araujo and Daniel Tirado Pantoja remain detained.