Austin ICE shooting: Agent was not wearing bodycam, reports say

AUSTIN, Texas - The ICE officer who shot a Venezuelan man in North Austin on Sunday was not wearing a bodycam, according to reports. [Fox 7 Austin]

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who discharged his firearm during a North Austin traffic stop Sunday was not equipped with an active body camera at the time of the shooting, according to law enforcement sources and reporting by multiple news outlets. The recently hired agent, whose identity has not been disclosed publicly, had been issued a recording device but was not wearing it when he shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, according to The Atlantic, The Washington Post and NBC News, which cited unnamed current and former Department of Homeland Security officials. A second ICE officer present during the arrest did activate his body camera, but the footage did not capture the moment of gunfire, NBC News reported.

The incident occurred during a Sunday operation that involved a vehicle pursuit in North Austin. Garces Perez, who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver at the time, sustained a gunshot wound to his back. According to his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, her client entered the United States legally in 2024 through the CBP One application process and subsequently filed for asylum. He was arrested after missing his immigration court hearing, which his attorney said was due to a notice sent to an incorrect address, resulting in a removal order.

The absence of body camera footage has intensified scrutiny of ICE's equipment rollout and recording protocols. In a statement issued Aug. 8, Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella said the agency was "on track to equip every officer and agent in the field with body-worn cameras by the end of August." That deadline has since passed without confirmation that all officers now carry the devices. DHS stated in mid-July that more than half of field offices had received body cameras, with remaining offices slated to receive them within 60 days.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters earlier this month that the agency expected full deployment by the conclusion of September. Agency policy mandates that officers activate cameras before initiating enforcement actions and continue recording until situations are safely resolved. Officers who fail to comply face requirements to submit written explanations to supervisors and potential disciplinary measures.

Lincoln-Goldfinch called for transparency regarding the camera situation, posting on social media: "You need to answer why your agents are not turning their body cams on. Release the footage immediately!" The absence of video documentation mirrors concerns raised following other fatal ICE shootings, including that of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7, where neither body cameras nor dashboard cameras captured the incident.

State officials have weighed in on the shooting. Gov. Greg Abbott, speaking at an event in Gainesville, Texas, acknowledged that details remained unclear and pledged to monitor developments. His Democratic challenger in the gubernatorial race, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, criticized what she characterized as inadequate medical care for Garces Perez and called for comparable oversight standards applied to state law enforcement. "In the state of Texas, we require dash cams, body cams for all our state DPS officers. These same requirements should be in place for federal officers who have this immense power," Hinojosa said.

When asked whether the officer involved in Sunday's shooting was wearing an active body camera and, if not, why not, ICE declined to provide a direct response, instead referencing their standard post-incident statement indicating an ongoing investigation. The agency has not identified the officer involved in the shooting.