The Mexican government has announced plans to request criminal charges regarding the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens who perished while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or during immigration enforcement operations. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco stated that the request will be submitted to state prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations under the Trump administration’s current deportation policies.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico is moving beyond traditional diplomatic channels following the recent death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican citizen shot by an ICE agent in Houston. Sheinbaum emphasized that her administration can no longer remain silent regarding the deaths of individuals whose only stated activity was honest work. Salgado Araujo, a long-term U.S. resident, was killed while transporting a work crew to a construction site.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers were conducting surveillance for a different target when they stopped the vehicle carrying Salgado Araujo. While DHS initially stated that officers targeted him for lacking legal permission and opened fire in self-defense after he attempted to ram an officer, the victim’s family is demanding a thorough investigation. Houston firefighters reported that the victim was struck in the abdomen and his vehicle subsequently hit an ICE car.
Velasco noted that the government’s efforts will also include civil lawsuits against the private companies that operate detention facilities, aiming to curb human rights violations. Data from a CBS News analysis indicates that 31 ICE detainees died in 2025, reaching a two-decade high. Of the 17 deaths cited by Mexico, 14 occurred in custody and three during operations. Previously, the Mexican government had limited its response to supporting families, filing diplomatic notes, and raising concerns with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Updated on: July 10, 2026 / 6:51 AM EDT / CBS/AP
"We are going to do everything in our power, because we cannot stand silent" in the face of the deaths of Mexicans "whose only crime is working honestly in the United States," Sheinbaum said.
