Who is Wilber Garcés, the Venezuelan shot by ICE in Austin?

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28 years old, was seriously wounded Sunday when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot him in Austin, Texas. The Venezuelan national was transferred hours later to an immigration detention center, confirmed by his attorney to EFE.

Who is the Venezuelan wounded in the ICE operation

Garcés is married to a woman with legal immigration status in the United States, according to statements by his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, to NPR. So far, it has not been publicly reported which Venezuelan city he is from or how long he has been living in the country.

Lincoln-Goldfinch confirmed the man’s identity after local authorities initially did not reveal it. The attorney has represented both Garcés and his family since the day of the incident.

File photograph of an agent from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). EFE/Epa/Olga Fedorova

Conflicting versions about his immigration status

Federal sources cited by CBS News and ABC News indicated that ICE agents were searching for a Venezuelan citizen without legal authorization and with a deportation order. Those same sources identified Garcés as the person sought in the operation.

His attorney offered a different version. Lincoln-Goldfinch initially said she believed Garcés had no criminal record or final deportation order, but later clarified to AP that she was not certain about his current immigration status.

The defense also told CBS that, according to available information, Garcés had entered the United States legally. Nevertheless, it did not provide details about what his immigration status was at the time of the shooting.

Current legal framework: A final deportation order is issued after a proceeding before the Immigration Court (EOIR), the administrative court that resolves immigration cases. Until that order is publicly confirmed, the person retains the right to have their status clarified before any removal from the country.

How the shooting in north Austin occurred

The incident occurred just before 1:00 p.m. Sunday, near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square. According to Austin City Councilman Mike Siegel, an ICE agent driving an unmarked pickup truck collided with Garcés’s vehicle before shooting him.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis reported that the incident occurred following a traffic stop and that there may have been a brief foot pursuit. Davis clarified that the information was preliminary and that local police did not participate in the operation.

A witness identified as Juan told EFE that he found Garcés wounded inside his vehicle. «I spoke to the young man, I asked him if he was okay and he told me: ‘They shot me in the back’,» Juan said, who asked to use a fictitious name for fear of retaliation.

File photograph of an agent from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). EFE/Ángel Colmenares

Local authorities’ call for transparency

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Councilman Siegel called for a transparent investigation into the shooting. Both officials expressed concern about the possibility that the agent involved, whose identity has not been revealed, could leave the state before the process concludes.

«My main concern is that the suspect in this crime be prevented from leaving the state,» Siegel said. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has not provided details about the use of force in this case.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office formally requested to participate in the investigation and have access to collected evidence. Austin authorities insist the investigation must include local agencies, not just federal ones.

A pattern of shootings during immigration operations

Garcés’s case occurs just over two months after an ICE agent killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican migrant, in Houston. ICE claimed at the time that Salgado attempted to ram agents with his vehicle, a version questioned by witnesses.

An analysis published in July by The Washington Post counted at least 17 drivers shot during operations by federal immigration agents since Trump’s return to the White House. Of that total, six people died, according to the same count.

What is known today about Garcés’s health status and location

Garcés was shot in the torso and was taken to an Austin hospital in serious but stable condition. His attorney said she was able to speak with his wife by phone from the medical center, while he experienced severe pain.

Hours later, the family was informed that Garcés had been discharged and placed in ICE custody. To date, the defense has not been able to confirm which detention center he was transferred to.

What families can do in similar cases

Relatives of people detained by ICE can verify their location through the agency’s detainee locator system. Having legal representation, as Lincoln-Goldfinch does in this case, helps monitor the process and ex