Texas Man Shot by ICE Agent Detained with Bullet Still in Body

A Venezuelan man shot by a U.S. immigration agent in Texas remains in custody with the bullet still inside his body, according to his lawyer. The incident occurred in Austin on September 20, 2026.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was wounded in the torso and is now in stable condition. He was transferred from a hospital to a detention center in Pearsall after being shot. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, claimed that ICE agents acted unjustly, stating there was no reason for the shooting.

Garces Perez was making a food delivery when an unmarked truck sideswiped him. He turned around to see what had happened, and the truck chased him again before agents shot him in the back. Lincoln-Goldfinch criticized ICE for being overarmed and violent, calling for an end to their traffic stops.

DHS reported that Garces Perez entered the country illegally under the Biden administration and has a removal order. However, his lawyer argued he was in the U.S. legally with a work permit. A makeshift memorial near the shooting site includes flowers and a sign demanding justice for him.

This incident follows other fatal shootings involving ICE agents, including Ruben Ray Martinez and Lorenzo Salgado, as well as two Americans killed by federal agents in Minnesota. These cases highlight concerns over the use of lethal force by immigration officials during Trump’s presidency.