Mexico wants criminal investigation after man killed by ICE in Houston

International Mexico wants criminal investigation after man killed by ICE in Houston Comments: by Jeff Arnold - 07/09/26 5:40 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Jeff Arnold - 07/09/26 5:40 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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(NewsNation) — Mexico intends to file criminal complaints in the United States regarding Mexican citizens who have died in the custody of U.S. federal immigration officials or while being targeted by federal law enforcement, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday.

Officials announced in Mexico City that 14 Mexicans have died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and another three have been killed during ICE immigration enforcement operations, including this week.

The announcement came two days after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Houston. ICE accused Salgado Araujo of ramming an ICE vehicle with his van, refusing to follow multiple commands and weaponizing his vehicle by attempting to run an ICE officer over.

Sheinbaum said the fatal shooting of Salgado Araujo points to a larger pattern of the mistreatment of Mexican citizens in the United States. Mexican officials said Thursday the pending filing of criminal complaints extends beyond nearly a dozen diplomatic complaints that have already been filed by Mexican officials with international human rights officials.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family doesn’t believe ICE’s claims

Salgado Araujo’s family is demanding a full and transparent investigation into the shooting. Salgado Araujo’s son said Wednesday that his father has been in the United States for 35 years and has run a construction company that has built hundreds of homes in suburban Houston for three decades.

Officials said the husband and father of three had no criminal record when he was targeted by ICE this week and pulled over for a targeted traffic stop. The League of United Latin American Citizens said Thursday that ICE’s narrative surrounding the fatal shooting was nearly identical to the one used by the agency following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January in Minneapolis.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died,” Sheinbaum told reporters Thursday.

Ronaldo Salgado, son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, holds a photo of his father during a news conference about the ICE shooting death in Houston Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is conducting an internal investigation into the fatal shooting. The FBI is investigating allegations of an assault on a federal officer.

Mexico also plans to sue immigration detention operators

Sheinbaum said the criminal complaints will be filed to hold ICE officers or officials accountable for the deaths that have taken place under the U.S. government’s watch.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said Thursday that the Mexican government will also file civil lawsuits ⁠against the private companies, like the Geo Group and CoreCivic, that operate immigration detention centers in the U.S.

Velasco said Mexico plans to file complaints with prosecutors in U.S. states where Mexican nationals have died in cases involving ICE, as well as with the Department of Justice. He said that the fatal shooting by an ICE officer in Houston this week needs to be investigated with “absolute seriousness.”

Velasco said that a total of 58 migrants of various nationalities have died in ICE detention centers in 2025 and 2026.

DHS says detainees get full due process

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told NewsNation Thursday there has been no spike in detention deaths. The spokesperson said that all detainees receive full due process and are provided with proper meals, water, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.

Regarding encounters with migrants, the spokesperson told NewsNation that ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers. Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use-of-force training.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to NewsNation’s request for comment regarding Mexico’s plans.

Velasco called the issue of protecting the human rights of Mexican citizens the highest priority for his office at this time, which is why the country is moving forward with the action against the United States.

“We are going to move beyond the diplomatic sphere and go directly to U.S. prosecutors to file complaints regarding these incidents, requesting that they are investigated as criminal matters,” Velasco said.

Reuters provided reporting for this story.

Jeff Arnold is a national immigration enterprise reporter for NewsNation Digital, covering immigration-related issues from the border to cities across the country. Send him story ideas at [email protected].