Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare confirms substance in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s work van tested negative for narcotics.

The Harris County District Attorney’s office confirmed Friday that a substance found in the work van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not an illicit drug. The discovery refutes an FBI affidavit that suggested the white, crystal-like substance resembled methamphetamine. Instead, the Salgado Araujo family maintains the substance was a homemade electrolyte mix of granulated salt, lemon, and water used by construction workers to stay hydrated in the Texas heat. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 51-year-old construction worker who lived in the U.S. for 35 years, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on July 7. While the Department of Homeland Security claimed Salgado Araujo weaponized his vehicle during a traffic stop, his family and legal team dispute this narrative. Attorney Ruby Powers noted that the government's early claim of narcotics diverted attention from the primary fact of the shooting. The administration announced a temporary suspension of ICE vehicle stops following this incident and another in Maine, though President Trump swiftly overturned the decision. The shooting remains under investigation by the FBI and the district attorney’s office.

Sources