SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, the attorney representing two of the men who were in the van with Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a deadly ICE shooting last week, was found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence battery in Seminole County, Florida on Wednesday, according to court documents.
Balderas-Ibarra is representing Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and Daniel Tirado Pantoja, who are currently in ICE custody at the Montgomery Processing Center.
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In December 2025, Balderas-Ibarra was charged in Florida with false imprisonment and domestic battery. The case involved a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.
On Wednesday, Balderas-Ibarra pleaded no contest to the battery charge and the kidnapping/false imprisonment charge was dropped, according to court documents.
As part of his punishment, Balderas-Ibarra will be placed on supervised probation for 12 months and is ordered to complete a batterer intervention program.
The victim read an impact statement in court reading in part:
“The bruises eventually faded, but the emotional wounds have not. They continue to affect how I think, how I trust, and how I move through the world. I believed that love, patience, compassion, and forgiveness could heal our relationship. Instead, I learned one of the hardest lessons of my life: no amount of love can change someone who refuses to recognize or take responsibility for their own actions.
“Since these incidents, I have lived in a constant state of fear. Even knowing the defendant is wearing a GPS monitor does not erase the anxiety I feel every time I leave my home. I look over my shoulder, I question unfamiliar cars, and I never truly feel safe. It has become part of my daily life.”
Balderas-Ibarra is also facing a felony assault charge in Harris County with a court hearing scheduled for next week.
Under State Bar of Texas disciplinary rules, a lawyer convicted of certain serious or intentional crimes may face compulsory discipline. If the sentence includes incarceration beyond a condition of probation, the attorney must be disbarred. If the sentence is fully probated, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals may either suspend the attorney’s license for the period of probation or order disbarment.
State Bar of Texas records show Balderas-Ibarra has held a probationary law license in Texas since January 2025. He has also been licensed in New Mexico since 2019.
Balderas-Ibarra does not appear in the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s public attorney search. Membership in the private professional organization is not required to practice immigration law.
On Monday, Balderas-Ibarra told KPRC 2 via email, “I maintain my innocence and believe the focus should continue to be on my clients, rather than shifting focus onto me. Don’t lose focus!”
He posted on video on Facebook Tuesday night saying he was able to secure U-Visas for the three men in the van with Salgado Araujo.