Why the Texas Rangers aren't investigating the Houston ICE shooting
When a federal immigration officer shot and killed a 23-year-old on South Padre Island last year, the Department of Homeland Security asked the Texas Rangers to investigate.
But as calls grow for an independent investigation into the shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, the federal agency has so far not called in state authorities.
"If ICE is saying they did everything on the up and up, nobody should have a problem with Texas Rangers conducting an independent investigation," said state Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Houston Democrat who has called for the state to look into the shooting.
Alvarado and 12 other Democratic lawmakers are urging the Department of Public Safety to step in. But the state agency says because it was not involved in the shooting, it would not be standard practice to do so without a request, either from the federal government, the governor or local officials with jurisdiction. The agency doesn't have a written policy outlining that.
"For decades, it has been the standard, established practice of the Texas Rangers to investigate officer-involved shootings when requested by an involved law enforcement agency - local, state or federal - or a prosecuting entity," said Ericka Miller, a DPS spokeswoman. "Typically, these requests are received within just minutes or hours of the incident taking place to preserve the integrity of the investigation."
The rangers investigated the South Padre shooting last year at the request of Homeland Security Investigation, an office within ICE. DHS claimed Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23 year old from San Antonio, was intoxicated and struck an agent with his car. Another agent shot him multiple times through a side window at point-blank range.
The rangers sent their findings to Cameron County and a grand jury did not find probable cause to charge anyone in the March 15, 2025, shooting.
DHS did not answer questions about why it has not asked for a state probe this time. The FBI referred questions to DHS and said: "To be clear, currently FBI Houston is only leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer."
Regardless, Alvarado said DPS has such a request - from herself and the 12 other lawmakers who wrote to the agency Wednesday. Their letter asked for a "parallel investigation."
"We are asking the Texas Rangers to do something they have done in the past," Alvarado said, pointing to the South Padre investigation. "They should abide by that and conduct the investigation."
M. George Eichenberg, a criminal justice professor at Tarleton State University, said state police have the authority to investigate any elements of the shooting that may violate Texas law. But he said state law "allows pretty much total discretion."
"The bottom line is whether these agencies have the will, and that is a political decision rather than a truly criminal justice decision," Eichenberg said.
Under Gov. Greg Abbott's direction, state troopers are assisting ICE with President Donald Trump's mass deportation push. His office has directed questions about the shooting to the federal agencies.
Even if state police wanted to investigate the Houston case, it could be difficult. Federal agents appear to have been the only police on the scene of the shooting and control much of the direct evidence.
The federal government has refused to turn over evidence in past ICE shootings, including in Minnesota, where state and local officials have sued to get federal authorities to comply with their investigations.
This article was updated with a statement from the FBI.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 3:35 AM.