The investigation into the shooting in which Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston, died, took a new turn after an FBI search warrant was made public focused on the search for alleged drugs inside the vehicle, instead of evidence directly related to the use of force.

According to a report from KHOU 11 Investigates, the request, authorized by a federal judge, indicates that FBI agents observed several bags with a white crystalline substance inside the truck that Salgado was driving on July 7.

According to the affidavit, the packaging and appearance of the substance “are consistent with methamphetamine,” so investigators requested to inspect the vehicle based on a possible violation of federal controlled substance laws.

The court order raises new questions

One of the aspects that drew the most attention is that the court order does not use as its main basis the alleged attack against federal agents announced days before by ICE, but rather the possible presence of narcotics.

KHOU 11 Legal Analyst Carmen Roe called it unusual for the document to be made public so early in the investigation.

“It looks like an attempt by the government to reinterpret the situation we all saw unfold,” Roe said.

The specialist also questioned whether the FBI would dedicate resources to possible drug possession when there is still an open investigation into the shooting.

Conflicting versions of the shooting persist

The court document indicates that ICE agents tried to stop the truck, but that the driver crossed a median to escape and that the officers did not initiate a chase.

However, KHOU 11 Investigates claims to have reviewed videos where unmarked ICE vehicles were apparently observed following the van for several blocks before the confrontation.

For its part, ICE maintains that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo used the vehicle as a weapon to try to run over an agent, who responded by shooting in self-defense.

In contrast, lawyer Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, as well as congresswoman Sylvia García, pointed out that the occupants of the truck claim that the vehicle was already stopped when an agent opened fire through the passenger window.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire called for transparency during the investigations and regretted that the federal agents involved were not wearing body cameras.

"I want them to be transparent and report what they discover in real time. All the details of the shooting need to be revealed," Whitmire said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) keeps the investigation into the use of force open, while the FBI continues to investigate the alleged assault against a federal agent and other possible crimes related to the case.