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Venezuelan DoorDash Driver Shot by ICE Agent in Austin Says Bullet Still Lodged Near Spinal Cord

other · 2026-09-22

On Sunday in Austin, Texas, 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a DoorDash driver from Venezuela, reported to journalists that he was shot after an ICE agent collided with his vehicle. In a phone interview, he revealed that the bullet shattered his clavicle and remains lodged in his body, as doctors at the initial hospital could not extract it due to its dangerous position near his spinal cord. "I'm in a lot of pain," he expressed, noting his deteriorating condition. Later, his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, shared on X that Garces Perez had been transferred to another hospital due to developing paralysis on his left side. This incident has garnered attention as it involves immigration enforcement against a delivery worker.

Key facts

  • Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, is a Venezuelan DoorDash driver.
  • He was delivering an order on Sunday when his vehicle was rammed by an ICE agent and he was shot in Austin, Texas.
  • The bullet fractured his clavicle and remains inside him near his spinal cord.
  • Doctors at the first hospital could not remove the bullet because it is close to the spinal cord.
  • Garces Perez said he is in a lot of pain and not doing well.
  • His lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said he was moved to another hospital.
  • Lincoln-Goldfinch said in a post on X that he is now experiencing left-side paralysis.
  • The shooting occurred in Austin, Texas, and involves U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Entities

Artists

  • Wilber Rafael Garces Perez
  • Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch

Institutions

  • ICE
  • DoorDash

Locations

  • Austin
  • Texas
  • United States
  • Venezuela

Sources