Mexican national dies after ICE agent shooting in Texas

A Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado, has died after being shot by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an attempted vehicle stop in Houston, Texas.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disclosed the incident in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, saying ICE agents attempted to stop Mr Salgado’s vehicle early Tuesday morning, but he allegedly tried to evade arrest.

According to the department, Mr Salgado rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, ignored multiple verbal commands and allegedly used his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE officer.

“From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer, resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” the DHS said.

Mr Salgado was shot during the encounter and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Son mourns father

In a statement shared on Facebook, Mr Salgado’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, described his father as a hardworking construction worker who had lived in the United States for nearly 35 years.

“My father did not deserve this,” Ronaldo said.

“My father has been in this country for nearly 35 years, working in construction to provide for myself, my two brothers and my mother.”

He also appealed for privacy, saying he did not want to watch the videos and images circulating online showing his father’s final moments.

“There are a lot of videos and pictures out there of my father’s final moments that I do not wish to see,” he added.

FBI to investigate

The Department of Homeland Security said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would investigate the alleged assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

The shooting is the first fatal incident involving federal immigration agents since January, when two separate encounters involving US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, ended in fatal shootings in Minneapolis during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown.

Federal authorities initially claimed both individuals posed threats to officers, but videos that later emerged raised questions about the official accounts and prompted criticism over the use of force and the training of federal agents.