ICE Shoots Venezuelan DoorDash Driver in Austin Traffic Stop

A federal immigration enforcement action in Austin left a 28-year-old Venezuelan man with a gunshot wound to the torso and raised immediate questions about the circumstances that prompted an ICE agent to fire. The shooting occurred near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Square shortly before 1 p.m. on September 20, during what authorities described as a traffic stop involving a blue Toyota Corolla. The man, identified by his attorney as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was delivering food for DoorDash at the time.

Austin police arrived after the shot and provided first aid while federal agents called for an ambulance. Garces Perez was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center in stable condition and later transferred into ICE custody. A Department of Homeland Security statement said he had entered the country illegally during the prior administration and held a final order of removal. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, told reporters that he possessed a valid work permit and had entered lawfully; she added that his wife was initially denied access to him at the hospital.

Local officials, including Mayor Kirk Watson and Rep. Greg Casar, called for an independent investigation and the prompt release of body and dash camera footage. Watson noted an increase in ICE activity in Austin in recent weeks and said the city should participate in the review. Casar requested a congressional briefing scheduled for September 28. Texas state troopers responded after the shooting but were not present when the shot was fired.

Dozens of protesters gathered at the scene, some carrying flags and signs critical of ICE operations. Videos showed a damaged passenger-side door on the Toyota and what appeared to be bullet holes in the rear window. Police Chief Lisa Davis described preliminary information indicating a small foot pursuit before the shooting. No official account from ICE has detailed the sequence of commands or actions that led the agent to discharge a firearm.

The incident follows other recent shootings involving federal immigration agents, including the July death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a Houston traffic stop. DHS’s investigative arm is leading the Austin inquiry with FBI assistance. As of the latest reports, the involved agent’s identity and current location have not been released, and no body-camera footage has been made public.