ICE officer shoots Venezuelan DoorDash driver in Austin traffic stop

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a Venezuelan man in the back during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas on Sunday. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was delivering food for DoorDash when the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. The officer's vehicle hit Perez's car before the shooting. Perez was taken to hospital and called his wife to tell her he had been shot. After treatment, he was moved to a detention centre in Pearsall, Texas, with a bullet still in his back. His family was told about his transfer four hours later. Austin's mayor and police have asked for an independent investigation. Congressman Greg Casar has demanded body camera footage be released. In July 2026, an ICE officer also shot and killed a man in Houston.