ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan Man During Traffic Stop in Austin; Federal Investigation Launched

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting of a Venezuelan man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Austin, Texas, on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred during a traffic stop near the intersection of Anderson Square and Research Boulevard.

Texas state troopers received a request from ICE officials around 12:50 p.m. to assist in pursuing a blue Toyota Corolla, according to Sheridan Nolen, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Nolen stated that an ICE agent had shot a man before state troopers arrived. Upon arrival, troopers provided aid to the driver of the Toyota Corolla.

Austin-Travis County EMS was notified of a shooting at approximately 12:56 p.m. CT by Austin police, EMS Chief Rob Luckritz said. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the torso. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated that preliminary information indicated a small foot pursuit preceded the shooting. The man was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center in stable condition.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said at a press conference that local police were not involved in the incident. Watson stated he was not surprised by ICE’s involvement given the nature of the agency’s operations. Watson and other Texas Democrats called for independent investigations. State Sen. James Talarico, who is campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat, said he was following the reports and urged release of available footage. “Previous incidents have shown that this agency cannot be trusted to report all the facts,” Talarico said in a statement.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office requested to partner with city police in the investigation and asked the federal government to provide access to evidence. The office noted that the incident could include violations of state law, as has occurred in other jurisdictions.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting ICE director David Venturella requesting a congressional briefing on Sept. 28. Casar also asked the agencies to release all body and dash camera footage from federal officers at the scene and recorded communications between agents before and after the shooting.

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Austin immigration lawyer representing the man who was shot and his wife, identified him as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that Perez had a work permit and had entered the United States legally. She said Perez was delivering for DoorDash at the time of the shooting.

A DHS spokesperson, without naming Perez, said the Venezuelan immigrant who was shot “illegally entered our country under the Biden Administration and had a final order of removal.” The man is stable and remains in federal custody pending removal, the spokesperson added.

Lincoln-Goldfinch posted videos stating that Perez’s wife had not been informed of her husband’s condition and was initially turned away from the hospital before being told hours later that he was in ICE custody.

Casar posted on social media that if ICE deports Perez, “the key witness to their shooting disappears.” He said Perez must not be removed and must receive proper medical care.

The ICE agent involved has not been publicly identified. Watson said authorities did not know the agent’s location and expressed hope that the agent would not leave the city or state.

The Sunday shooting follows a July incident in Houston in which an ICE agent shot and killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, during a traffic stop. ICE stated that Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation. The DHS has claimed, without providing evidence in public statements, that Salgado Araujo was in the country illegally and attempted to ram ICE vehicles.

Since January 2025, federal agents have conducted immigration enforcement operations in multiple cities. In one such operation, a federal agent fatally shot 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island, Texas, on March 15, 2025.

Separate shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis have prompted public debate over enforcement methods. Calls for accountability, primarily from Democratic officials, have led to funding disputes and partial shutdowns of the Department of Homeland Security.

Protesters gathered at the Austin scene after the shooting. Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators blocking traffic. Texas law enforcement responded, detained multiple protesters, and used pepper balls to disperse the crowd, according to CBS Austin.

Watson said local police were not involved in the shooting itself. The federal investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General remains ongoing.