Bodycam Footage Shows Aftermath of ICE Shooting of Venezuelan Migrant in Austin

The Austin Police Department released body-camera footage Tuesday showing the arrest of a Venezuelan national who was shot moments earlier by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during a weekend operation.

The three brief videos capture Austin police responding Sunday after 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was wounded while ICE officers were attempting to take him into custody.

One recording appears to capture the sound of three gunshots. In another, an officer arrives to find Garces Perez hunched over in the driver’s seat, clutching or reaching toward his left shoulder as if in pain.

Body-camera footage shows officers helping Garces Perez out of the vehicle before arresting him, appearing to contradict claims that ICE agents forcibly dragged him from the car.

An officer also calls for a pair of shears so Garces Perez’s shirt can be cut open and his injuries examined.

“¿Tiene armas?” an officer asks in Spanish, questioning Garces Perez about whether he has any weapons.

“No,” Garces Perez answers.

“He’s got … looks like one gunshot wound so far,” an officer says.

Reports say Garces Perez was delivering a DoorDash order when he made a U-turn beneath a highway and ICE agents continued following him. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, alleged that an unmarked truck pursued her client, sideswiped his vehicle and then shot him.

Authorities said Garces Perez had a final removal order. Lincoln-Goldfinch, however, maintained that he received the order after a hearing notice was mailed to a former address, even though he had updated his address with the court.

ICE has pushed back against claims about the shooting and Garces Perez’s immigration status. The agency said his employment authorization expired in 2025 and emphasized that a work permit alone does not establish lawful immigration status in the United States.

The agency further said Garces Perez was discharged from the hospital and taken to an ICE detention facility within hours, where officials said he was provided a bed. ICE also denied that he had been selected for enforcement at random.

“This illegal alien was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop,” ICE said in a statement. “What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S. Resisting officers and evading arrest is dangerous for our officers, illegal aliens, and the public. We remind the public that resisting officers and evading arrest is a felony and a federal crime. Sanctuary politicians need to stop encouraging this dangerous behavior that puts our officers and the public at risk.”