ICE Shoots Venezuelan DoorDash Driver in Austin Traffic Stop

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a Venezuelan man working as a DoorDash driver in Austin on Sunday, wounding him once in the torso during a traffic stop and prompting immediate protests at the scene. The 28-year-old, identified by his lawyer as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition before being transferred into federal custody.

Austin police were not involved in the operation and arrived after the shooting, according to Police Chief Lisa Davis. Officers on the scene administered first aid while federal agents waited for an ambulance, bystander video showed. The incident occurred near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Square in north Austin shortly before 1 p.m. local time. A blue Toyota Corolla driven by Garces Perez sustained damage to the passenger-side door.

Department of Homeland Security investigators are leading the inquiry into the shooting, with assistance from the FBI. City officials have asked to participate, and the Travis County District Attorney’s office has requested access to evidence, citing the possibility of state law violations. Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said Austin residents deserve a full accounting and expressed frustration over the surge in ICE activity in recent weeks. “They should know the truth,” he said.

Garces Perez called his wife from the hospital while in pain, according to attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. He was not identified as a target of an ongoing ICE investigation at the time of the stop. The shooting follows a fatal incident in Houston earlier this year in which an ICE agent killed a man who was not under investigation.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered near the scene, some carrying flags from Mexico and Guatemala and signs calling for ICE to leave Austin. Local authorities deployed additional officers to manage the crowd. Texas Democrats, including Rep. Greg Casar and state Sen. James Talarico, have called for an independent review and the prompt release of body camera footage.

The episode comes as the Trump administration has expanded interior enforcement operations nationwide. Federal officials have described the tactics as necessary to meet deportation targets, while local leaders in several cities have raised questions about coordination and transparency. Austin officials said they were not given advance notice of the operation that led to the shooting.