# Venezuelan delivery driver shot by ICE, detained with bullet in back > A DoorDash driver was shot by ICE during a traffic stop in Austin and immediately detained despite needing medical care, raising questions about the agency's conduct. - Title: Venezuelan delivery driver shot by ICE, detained with bullet… - Summary: A DoorDash driver was shot by ICE during a traffic stop in Austin and immediately detained despite needing medical care, raising questions about the agency's… - Keywords: wilber rafael garcés pérez, ice, austin texas, shooting, immigration enforcement, doordash driver, detention, medical care, use of force, venezuela, homeland security, greg casar - Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/venezuelan-man-shot-ice-texas-says-s-pain-still-bullet-back-rcna598999 - Author: Daniella Silva - Published: 2026-09-22T14:55:45.941+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: wilber rafael garcés pérez, ice, austin texas, shooting, immigration enforcement, doordash driver, detention, medical care, use of force, venezuela, homeland security, greg casar ## Venezuelan driver shot by ICE in Austin Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, was shot by an ICE officer on Sunday while making DoorDash deliveries during a traffic stop. He remains in immigration detention with a bullet lodged near his spine. ## Shot near clavicle, bullet never removed Garcés Pérez said he was shot near the clavicle and doctors did not remove the bullet because it was close to his spine. ICE allegedly pressured the hospital to release him quickly into custody. ## Detained within four hours of shooting Garcés Pérez was transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall around 4 a.m., just hours after being shot. Lawmakers and advocates say he was taken from the hospital into custody while still injured. ## No pain relief at detention center At the detention center, Garcés Pérez complained of pain but received no medical treatment or pain relief until Monday morning when he was given an unknown pill. He slept on the floor in a cold room. ## Allegedly roughed up by officers According to another detainee, officers handled Garcés Pérez roughly after the press conference, causing him to lose feeling on the left side of his body. He was then handcuffed, shackled, and taken to a hospital. ## Legally entered, was seeking asylum Garcés Pérez entered the country legally and was seeking asylum, according to his attorney. He notified immigration court of an address change, but a court notice was sent to his old address, causing him to miss his hearing. ## No criminal history beyond immigration status A senior administration official told NBC News that Garcés Pérez did not have a criminal history beyond being in the country illegally. He was ordered deported in absentia after missing his court hearing. ## Witness says he was shot in the back A witness at an ice cream shop heard gunshots and saw ICE agents surrounding a car. He approached and found Garcés Pérez with tears in his eyes saying he had been shot in the back. > I was shot in the back ## Unmarked truck sideswiped him twice According to Garcés Pérez's account, an unmarked black truck sideswiped his car. He did a U-turn under the highway, the truck chased and sideswiped him again, then agents shot him in the back of the neck. ## Video shows gunshots and blood Verified video captures tire screeching, at least three gunshots, and Garcés Pérez hunched over holding his chest. Another video shows a large bloodstain down his back and a bullet hole when officers cut open his shirt. ## Key witness should not be deported Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said Garcés Pérez is the most important witness to the shooting and should not be deported so the officer can be held accountable. > You do not deport the key witness to your own officer's use of force ## Rep. Casar demands immediate release Rep. Greg Casar said the federal government should not be allowed to shoot someone and then deport them to avoid accountability. He demanded Garcés Pérez be released to medical care immediately. > the federal government should not be allowed to shoot you and then disappear you from the country ## Part of surge in ICE enforcement The shooting comes as ICE has greatly increased enforcement this summer, making more than 50,000 arrests a month for the first time in July and August. It's the third shooting by ICE officers in recent months. ## Two other recent ICE shootings In July, an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston during a traffic stop. In August, another officer shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine. Neither man was ICE's intended target. ## Austin police investigating independently Austin police are investigating the shooting. Police Chief Lisa Davis said the investigation will be impartial and based on facts, though she did not provide additional details about what happened. ## Key takeaway Garcés Pérez was shot by ICE, held in custody with a bullet still lodged near his spine, and denied adequate medical care, prompting calls for his release and an independent investigation.