LAREDO — Immigrant rights groups and border-area political leaders are urging a full, independent investigation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and wounded a delivery driver in north Austin on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Calls for transparency and local oversight
The incident has prompted the Laredo Immigrant Alliance and others to demand that Austin and Travis County authorities be allowed to lead a criminal probe, saying local oversight is necessary for transparency. The advocacy group is also pressing federal officials to release the driver so his wife and attorney can visit him.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents the border region in Congress, publicly backed calls for an outside investigation and pledged to use his position on Homeland Security to seek answers from federal authorities.
What officials say so far
Federal investigators reported that ICE officers had run a license plate check that flagged the vehicle as belonging to 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. A CNN source cited in reports said Garces Perez had an active deportation order. Federal officials told media that the man is hospitalized in stable condition and remains in federal custody pending formal removal proceedings.
Immigrant groups in Laredo have disputed the account that an outstanding deportation order justified the stop or the shooting. They maintain Garces Perez had a valid work permit and was on a food delivery route when the confrontation occurred. Advocates say he fled the scene out of fear and was later wounded.
“These agents should focus on people who are actually criminals, the ones committing real crimes, not people trying to earn an honest living. The ones smuggling drugs, the ones selling drugs,”
That comment, voiced by a Laredo resident, captures the frustration among many in the city who say federal enforcement priorities should center on violent or organized criminal activity rather than workers performing everyday jobs.
Local consequences and next steps
Advocates in Laredo say they will continue pressing federal officials until the driver’s family and legal counsel have full access and until investigators provide a transparent account of the events that led to the shooting. They want an independent criminal inquiry led by local prosecutors in Austin and Travis County.
Congressman Cuellar’s offer to use his Homeland Security role suggests the matter could receive heightened scrutiny in Washington if local advocates and lawmakers press the case. Any follow-up will likely scrutinize how ICE agents identify and attempt to detain individuals during stops that begin with routine checks such as license-plate queries.
For Laredo residents — a city with deep family and community ties across the border and frequent interaction with immigration enforcement policy — the case underscores continuing tensions over how and where federal agents focus enforcement resources.
- Date of incident: Sept. 20
- Person wounded: Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28
- Status: Hospitalized in stable condition; in ICE custody pending removal proceedings
- Local demands: Independent criminal probe by Austin/Travis County; family access; federal transparency
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Initial action | ICE ran license-plate check, flagged vehicle |
| Federal claim | Individual had active deportation order (per CNN source) |
| Advocates' claim | Driver had valid work permit and was delivering food |
Investigations into use-of-force incidents involving federal agents can involve both internal DHS reviews and external criminal probes. The scope and leadership of any inquiry will determine which officials interview witnesses, review body-camera or surveillance footage, and decide whether charges are appropriate.
Local advocates say they view an independent investigation as essential to hold authorities accountable and to ensure the family of the wounded man receives information and access. Federal authorities say they will continue their review as removal proceedings proceed.
WE NEWS will continue to follow developments and report on any new statements from DHS, ICE, local prosecutors in Austin and Travis County, and Laredo advocacy organizations.
