Lawyer says white crystals in ICE shooting van were salt, not narcotics

BS BRIEF:

The attorney for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s brother says the white crystalline substance found in the van was granulated salt used in a homemade electrolyte mix, not illegal drugs, and urged the FBI to expedite laboratory testing.
Federal investigators have not publicly released laboratory test results. The FBI previously obtained a search warrant after agents believed the substance resembled methamphetamine, while local prosecutors have expressed skepticism that it was drugs.
The investigation into the fatal ICE shooting continues to evolve. Newly released details from the U.S. Attorney’s Office differ in some respects from ICE’s initial public description of the encounter, and multiple investigations remain active.

ATTORNEY SAYS SUBSTANCE IN FATAL ICE SHOOTING VAN WAS HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE MIX, NOT DRUGS

HOUSTON — The investigation into the fatal shooting of Houston construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo took another turn Friday after the attorney representing one of the witnesses disputed federal investigators’ suggestion that suspected narcotics were found inside the work van.

Ruby Powers, who represents Salgado Araujo’s brother, told CNN the bags containing a white crystalline substance were filled with granulated salt used to make a homemade electrolyte drink for construction workers laboring in the intense Texas heat.

“It was as simple as crystallized salt to put in an electrolyte drink,” Powers said during her interview with CNN.

Her comments came after the FBI obtained a search warrant stating agents believed the crystal-like substance could be methamphetamine. The warrant was unsealed this week, prompting criticism from the family and their attorneys, who argued that publicly releasing the allegation before laboratory testing risked unfairly influencing public opinion.

Powers said she had been told by the DEA that testing should only take a matter of days. “We’re hoping either later today or Monday,” she said, adding that she remained concerned about the timing of the warrant’s release. “It definitely was unique that the warrant was unsealed, and I was concerned about prejudicing public opinion during this time.”

She also questioned why the warrant, initially sealed, later became public. “Experts have said that it’s very unusual… and that’s why we came out with the statement that we did… because of the impact on public opinion and just wanting to clear my client’s name.”

The dispute centers on evidence discovered after the July 7 shooting in Houston, where ICE officers were attempting to stop a van while searching for two different men. Federal officials now acknowledge Salgado Araujo was not the original target of the operation. During the confrontation, an ICE agent fatally shot the 52-year-old father of three.

In a statement released this week, U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz said investigators observed “several small bags of a white, crystal-like substance” inside the van, leading the FBI to seek a warrant to test the material. Reitz emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing and that no final conclusions have been reached.

Meanwhile, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has publicly questioned both the timing of the search warrant and the suggestion that the material was narcotics. Teare has also argued that even if illegal drugs had been present, that fact alone would not determine whether the use of deadly force was legally justified.

The shooting itself remains under investigation by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and local authorities. Federal officials have released additional details about the moments leading up to the shooting, while family members and attorneys continue to dispute key aspects of the government’s account.

Until laboratory results are released, the competing claims over the white crystalline substance remain unverified.