Houston ICE shooting: What Victor Salgado Araujo's release means for investigation into brother's death

HOUSTON - The last of three surviving witnesses to the deadly ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is now out of federal custody — a development that could remove a significant obstacle as prosecutors move closer to putting key witnesses before a grand jury.

Victor Salgado Araujo, Lorenzo's younger brother, was released Sunday morning after spending more than 50 days in immigration detention.

Victor was sitting in the passenger seat next to Lorenzo on July 7 when an ICE agent shot and killed him during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Houston's East End.

His attorney, Ruby Powers, told FOX 26 Monday that Victor is now home with his family and finally beginning to process both his brother's death and the weeks he spent in detention.

But his release could also change the way investigators are able to work with one of the most important eyewitnesses to the shooting.

Finally home

Powers said she did not know exactly when Victor would be released.

She received a message from one of his family members around 7:30 a.m. Sunday saying Victor had called to tell them he was getting out. Powers said she later received confirmation from his deportation officer, and Victor's family was able to pick him up from the detention facility.

Powers met Victor at his home shortly afterward.

She described him as sleep-deprived and "a bit like shell shocked," saying his time in detention made it difficult for him to begin grieving his brother.

Powers said Victor struggled to sleep in a large room with other detainees and had been separated from the friends and family who would normally have supported him after Lorenzo's death.

"It's almost as if it's just starting now that he's able to be with his loved ones and to be out of the detained setting," Powers said of the grieving process.

A key eyewitness

Victor's release is also significant because of where he was when Lorenzo was killed.

He was sitting in the passenger seat of Lorenzo's van and witnessed the events surrounding the shooting firsthand.

Powers said Victor wants to continue helping investigators.

"We're accessible and available for the investigation," Powers said. "He wants justice for his brother, and the whole community does."

She called Victor a "key eyewitness" and said participating in the investigation is also part of his healing process.

Interviews while detained

Victor's release does not mean investigators are speaking with him for the first time.

Powers said she was present for multiple interviews with Victor while he was detained, including interviews involving the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Texas Rangers and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.

But she said conducting those interviews inside a detention facility created practical limitations.

At times, Powers said, conversations took place through glass using a phone. Notes had to be taken by hand, and investigators did not have the same ability to work through the events using images or other visual materials.

Now that Victor is out, Powers said investigators could more easily show him things such as diagrams or maps if they are needed.

"That'll be more accessible in this process," Powers said.

DA wanted Victor released

What they're saying:

Victor's release came just two days after Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told FOX 26 that getting him out of federal custody was "critical" to the investigation.

Teare spoke with FOX 26 on Friday, Aug. 28, while Victor was still detained.

Although investigators had already interviewed Victor, Teare said he wanted prosecutors to be able to sit down with him without the restrictions of a detention setting.

"We need to have a true rendition from him of what happened," Teare said.

Teare said prosecutors not only want Victor's eventual testimony before a grand jury, but also the opportunity for a more free-flowing conversation outside federal detention.

Powers said the DA's office had also been communicating with her before Victor's release.

She said prosecutors were asking when he might get out, although she did not have an answer for them at the time.

Powers said she has not yet been given a schedule for when investigators will need Victor, but said he will be available.

"He wants justice for his brother," Powers said.

Grand jury comes next

What's next:

Teare told FOX 26 his office has essentially collected the evidence from the day of the shooting and is now focused on "locking in" witnesses.

That includes using the grand jury to obtain sworn testimony from cooperative witnesses and, if necessary, compel testimony from witnesses who may be reluctant to appear.

Victor is not the only surviving witness prosecutors want to hear from.

Daniel Tirado Pantoja and Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, who were also inside Lorenzo's van, have also been released from federal immigration custody.

Teare told FOX 26 Friday that prosecutors "absolutely intend" to get the released witnesses before a grand jury while continuing to have more open conversations with them outside detention.

A grand jury appearance would not necessarily mean prosecutors have decided to seek an indictment. Teare has described the grand jury at this stage as an investigative tool that allows his office to collect sworn testimony as prosecutors build a more complete picture of what happened.

Ultimately, Teare said his office expects to present the facts to a grand jury to determine whether an indictment is warranted.

When could that happen?

What we don't know:

There is still no firm date for when Victor or the other witnesses could appear.

When FOX 26 asked Teare Friday what "very soon" meant, he cautioned against expecting grand jury testimony immediately.

"I would love to say that it'll be next week, but it won't," Teare said.

He said outside factors remain and stressed that prosecutors have one opportunity to handle the case correctly.

Still, Teare said the timeline for presenting the case to a grand jury is shrinking.

Federal probe still open

Dig deeper:

The Harris County investigation is not the only investigation that remains active.

U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz told FOX 26's Greg Groogan over the weekend that the federal investigation into Lorenzo's death is also ongoing.

"I don't think any books have closed either in the federal, state or local levels," Reitz said.

Reitz said federal authorities are continuing to look into the shooting and reiterated his intention to be transparent with the public when possible.

What records show

The backstory:

Federal records reviewed by FOX 26 provide additional details about the operation that preceded the shooting.

The records indicate ICE agents were looking for other individuals that morning and followed Lorenzo's white work van after confusing it with a vehicle connected to their targets.

The documents say agents activated emergency lights and sirens during the encounter and include ICE's allegation that Lorenzo's van struck or rammed an ICE vehicle.

The records detail the pursuit and events leading up to the confrontation but do not provide the same detailed account of the moment Lorenzo was shot.

Lorenzo was not the target of the immigration operation.

U visa case moves forward

Victor's immigration case is also moving forward.

Powers said Victor has applied for a U visa, a form of immigration relief available to certain victims of qualifying crimes who assist law enforcement.

She told FOX 26 that Victor has already received a bona fide determination — meaning the government has conducted an initial review of his application and determined it meets requirements to move further through the process.

Powers said she has never seen a U visa application move as quickly as Victor's has from certification through receipt and the bona fide determination.

She cautioned, however, that receiving that determination is not the same as receiving a U visa. Federal law limits the number issued each year, contributing to a significant backlog.

Still, Powers described the development as a major step and said Victor's immigration case is "moving along favorably."

Looking for answers

For now, Powers said Victor's family is trying to give him some privacy and time to recover after his detention.

But she said he intends to be available when investigators call.

Powers said that after weeks focused on getting Victor released, the focus can now shift toward finding answers about what happened July 7.

"We all want answers and we want accountability," Powers said. "We want transparency."

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