New Videos Reveal Prior Encounter in Austin ICE Shooting of Venezuelan Migrant
- Wilber Garcés, a 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant held in a migration detention center in Texas, was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an operation in Austin...
- According to footage from a dashcam installed in an off-duty police officer's vehicle, federal agents intercepted Garcés at 12:44 p.m.
- Prior to the release of the footage, Garcés maintained that he was unaware the occupants of the trucks were immigration agents until one vehicle struck his car.
Wilber Garcés, a 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant held in a migration detention center in Texas, was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an operation in Austin that began at least 10 minutes before the shooting occurred, according to video footage released by the Austin Police Department on September 22, 2026.
New Video Evidence Reveals Ten-Minute Interception Prior to Shooting
According to footage from a dashcam installed in an off-duty police officer’s vehicle, federal agents intercepted Garcés at 12:44 p.m. local time on an Austin street. The recording shows two unmarked black pickup trucks parked directly in front of and behind the blue Toyota Corolla driven by Garcés, with one vehicle displaying flashing emergency lights and two agents standing beside the driver’s side window. Additional reporting by The New York Times, citing sources familiar with the matter, indicated that ICE officers had been running vehicle license plates in northwest Austin when they flagged Garcés’s car and discovered an outstanding deportation order.
Prior to the release of the footage, Garcés maintained that he was unaware the occupants of the trucks were immigration agents until one vehicle struck his car. According to his account, he was delivering orders for DoorDash when a black pickup truck collided with the side of his vehicle, leading him to believe the driver was a private citizen rather than law enforcement.
Bodycam Footage and Current Medical Status
A second recording from an Austin police officer’s body camera captures the immediate aftermath of the incident, showing local law enforcement removing Garcés from his car and placing him in handcuffs. At least two ICE agents are visible in the clip, including one wearing a ski mask and another wearing sunglasses. In the video, an Austin officer asks the federal agents if Garcés is under arrest before pulling him from the vehicle, cutting his shirt with scissors, and revealing a gunshot wound on his upper back.
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, the attorney representing Garcés, stated that the released clips fail to provide complete context and called on ICE to publish the entirety of the available footage. As quoted by Efe, her office stated that the public deserves to see the full sequence of events.
Legal representatives report that Garcés still has the bullet lodged in his body and has lost mobility and sensation on his left side. The incident has triggered protests in Austin, alongside condemnation from Democratic politicians, activists, and the Travis County prosecutor’s office, all of whom have urged an independent investigation.
Legal Proceedings and Background
A federal judge scheduled a court hearing for September 30, 2026, to address a defense motion requesting the release of Garcés and a temporary stay of his deportation. Garcés entered the United States in 2024 through the CBP One application process. The deportation order cited by federal authorities was issued in absentia, which his legal team attributes to a notification sent to an outdated residential address.
