Houston prosecutor could bring charges against ICE agents in fatal shooting
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who is investigating the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, told CBS News ICE's tactics "in no way resemble" the behavior of police agencies he's worked with.
Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 10:21 PM EDT / CBS News
Houston – The top prosecutor in the Houston area, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, told CBS News Tuesday his office is "more than prepared" to prosecute federal immigration agents if it finds criminal wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of a Mexican immigrant last week.
Teare said his office is conducting an investigation into the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on July 7, saying local investigators have issued "dozens" of subpoenas.
The county prosecutor said he launched an "independent, transparent investigation" of the shooting because the community deserved it.
"As we go forward, and if the case and the evidence directs us that criminal wrongdoing occurred, we are more than prepared to file criminal charges against the people, regardless of whether or not they are federal agents or civilians," Teare said during an interview in his Houston office. "You can't come into our community, take someone's life, and then hide behind a badge."
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that Salgado Araujo weaponized his van during a traffic stop, prompting an ICE agent to shoot him. The department said Salgado Araujo was in the U.S. illegally but admitted the ICE agents who encountered him were initially looking for a different person.