HOUSTON — A substance discovered inside Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s van was “not a narcotic or any other illicit substance,” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia and family attorney Ruby Powers said.
Garcia said on social media that the finding supports what Araujo’s family had maintained from the beginning: the material was electrolyte powder used to stay hydrated while working outdoors during a scorching Texas summer. “The attempt to cast a shadow over Lorenzo Salgado’s name has failed,” Garcia said.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office later confirmed Garcia’s statement, saying testing showed the substance was negative for narcotics. Prosecutors declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Powers, who represents the Salgado family, said in a statement that relatives had also been informed of the latest test results and were told the Texas Department of Public Safety has the findings.
Her statement said in part:
The preliminary report is already clear: the substance was not a controlled substance. An unproven claim was allowed to circulate before it was tested, and the way it was made public did real damage, diverting attention from what actually matters in this case. Lorenzo was shot, and no lab report answers for that.
Powers also renewed calls for Victor, Lorenzo’s brother, to be released from ICE custody, while underscoring the family’s push for an independent investigation and accountability in the shooting.
RELATED: Trump Arrives at MetLife Stadium With Melania and Family
The FBI, which is leading the federal investigation into the fatal shooting, has not publicly identified what the substance found in Araujo’s van was.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus holds hearing in Houston on deadly ICE shooting
Lawmakers were in Houston to hold a hearing on Friday in response to the deadly shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Magnolia Park.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hearing eyewitness accounts and other testimony related to the deadly shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent.
The shooting happened on July 7 off Canal Street after the Department of Homeland Security said Araujo tried to run over the agent. Araujo’s family disputes DHS’s claims.
ICE later said he was not the target of their operation.
This is a developing story.
Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
