A Venezuelan man was shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas, and was later moved from a hospital to immigration detention while facing removal from the United States. The man, Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, and his lawyer said on 21 September 2026 that a bullet remained lodged near his spine and that he had not received adequate medical care; DHS said he was in stable condition and in federal custody pending removal.
Zach Leggio
2026.10.02
97% relevant
This article updates the same Austin shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, adding that he underwent surgery 11 days after the shooting, remains in federal custody, has been charged with assaulting and resisting a federal officer, and that the stop and pursuit would not have complied with newly issued ICE vehicle-stop guidance.
Associated Press
2026.09.29
97% relevant
This article updates the same 20 September 2026 Austin shooting by reporting that Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez has now been charged in federal court with assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer. It adds the Justice Department complaint's account that agents say he struck an officer with his side mirror while trying to drive away, notes his initial court appearance, and says his lawyers are separately suing to stop his removal.
Rena Rowe
2026.09.29
95% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Sept. 20 Austin incident, adding that Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez has now been federally charged with assaulting, resisting, interfering with, or impeding an officer, with prosecutors alleging his vehicle struck an ICE officer as he drove away. It also adds details from the affidavit, his lawyer's account of his legal entry and missed immigration hearing, and the timing of a detention hearing.
Zach Leggio
2026.09.29
97% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Austin shooting involving Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, adding that federal prosecutors have now charged him with assaulting and resisting a federal officer, while also providing new details about the officers' accounts, body-camera use, his continued detention in Pearsall, and the temporary halt to his deportation.
Emiliano Tahui Gomez in Austin
2026.09.26
97% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Austin shooting: it adds that Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez reportedly needs surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his back, remains in ICE detention, is the subject of a habeas petition and upcoming hearing, and that DHS, supporters, and local officials are disputing his care and the circumstances of the shooting.
Colleen DeGuzman
2026.09.23
84% relevant
This article adds the political fallout in Austin after the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, including Mayor Kirk Watson's call for an Austin Police Department investigation rather than relying only on federal investigators.
Alex Nguyen
2026.09.23
95% relevant
This article updates the same Austin shooting by reporting that the ICE officer who fired was issued a body camera but was not wearing it, while another officer's camera did not capture the shooting; it also notes DHS statements, the man's asylum-related history, and a Sept. 30 federal court hearing on efforts to block his deportation.
Pam Key
2026.09.23
95% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Austin incident involving Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, adding Castro's account that Perez was denied pain medication and moved between a hospital, an ICE processing center, and detention before being returned to the hospital.
Uriel J. García, Zach Leggio, and Alex Nguyen
2026.09.22
98% relevant
It is a direct update on the same incident involving Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, adding details about his discharge from the hospital within hours of the shooting, transfer to the Pearsall detention center, subsequent return to a second hospital, and conflicting claims from his lawyer and DHS about his medical treatment and conditions in custody.
Bob Price
2026.09.22
88% relevant
This article is a follow-up on the same Austin shooting, adding details about protests at the scene, threatening graffiti aimed at Donald Trump and ICE officers, videos showing the aftermath, and the claim that the man had a final removal order the officer was trying to enforce.
Alejandro Serrano
2026.09.22
96% relevant
This is a direct follow-up on the same Austin shooting of Venezuelan migrant Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, adding neighborhood-level reporting on the incident, local accounts of intensified ICE street arrests in North Austin, and claims that Texas DPS troopers have sometimes assisted by making traffic stops and alerting ICE.
Emiliano Tahui Gomez in Austin
2026.09.21
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct story about an ICE officer shooting a Venezuelan man in Austin and his subsequent detention and pending removal, not about the administration's broader third-country deportation program.
David Zimmermann
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Austin shooting and detention case, adding that Wilber Rafael Garces Perez remains in federal custody after hospital release and that his attorney says ICE is questioning him while a bullet remains lodged near his spine.
Uriel J. García, Alex Nguyen, and Zach Leggio
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This is a direct update on the same Austin shooting: it adds Wilber Rafael Garces Perez's account that he tried to pull over before agents fired, says he still has a bullet lodged near his spine, and reports that he was moved from the hospital to the South Texas ICE Processing Center and says he has not received adequate medical care.
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This video report covers the same Austin shooting and detention event, adding that protesters gathered afterward, that DHS said it is leading an investigation with FBI assistance, and that Austin police were not involved, according to Mayor Kirk Watson.
Emiliano Tahui Gomez in Austin and agency
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This article is a direct report on the same Austin shooting, adding the man's identification as Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, statements from his lawyer that he was working a DoorDash delivery, confirmation that he was taken into ICE custody after hospitalization, and details on investigations by DHS and the FBI as well as protests at the scene.
David DeTurris
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This article covers the same Austin shooting and adds early details from Austin officials and the man's lawyer, including his identification as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, his condition, the reported foot pursuit, uncertainty over whether he was moved into ICE custody, and protests at the scene.
Carter Schroppe
2026.09.20
96% relevant
This appears to be early reporting on the same Austin shooting, adding that local officials said the man was shot Sunday afternoon, suffered a torso gunshot wound, and was in serious but stable condition after being taken to a trauma center.
Alex Nguyen, Uriel J. García, and Alejandro Serrano
2026.09.20
98% relevant
This is a direct report on the same Austin shooting, adding local official details about the foot pursuit, the man's identity as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, his transfer to the South Texas ICE Processing Center, DHS's statement that HSI and the FBI will investigate, and protests at the scene.