A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Texas has been indicted on an aggravated assault charge after prosecutors accused him of deliberately driving an SUV into a man fleeing on foot during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston.
Mario Alberto Morales, 33, faces a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over the October 10 incident involving Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican national who suffered serious injuries. The indictment marks the first time an immigration enforcement agent has been indicted in Texas, according to Newsweek.
The incident took place at around 7:30 am in northwest Harris County. According to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, Morales was driving a 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee while pursuing a vehicle driven by Parra Hernandez.
Both Parra Hernandez and another individual eventually abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Surveillance footage released by prosecutors allegedly shows Morales driving across a median and towards one of the fleeing men.
Teare alleged that Morales deliberately steered the SUV towards Parra Hernandez, running over both his legs. The injured man suffered damage to his hip, leg and ankle, including a broken leg. He remains in ICE custody while receiving rehabilitation care.
ICE Officer’s Body Camera Footage Under Scrutiny
Prosecutors have cited surveillance footage, body-worn camera recordings and Morales’ subsequent 911 call as key evidence in the case.
According to Newsweek, Morales is heard saying in body-camera footage: “I was coming in, and I hit him with the car.”
However, in his emergency call, Morales reportedly said he had attempted to manoeuvre around Parra Hernandez and that the man had made contact with his vehicle.
ICE initially maintained that Parra Hernandez had run in front of the agency vehicle. The department has rejected allegations that the collision was intentional and described the prosecution as a “political stunt”.
Teare, however, said video evidence showed Morales aggressively steering towards the fleeing man.
If convicted, Morales could face between two and 20 years in prison.
Who Is Mario Alberto Morales?
Morales is a 33-year-old ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer from Brownsville, Texas. According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, he previously worked as an ICE contractor before joining the agency as an officer during its recruitment expansion in 2025.
His attorney, David Lindenmuth, has described him as a military veteran and pastor. He said Morales remained in the Houston area and intended to surrender once the criminal case was assigned to a court.
As of Friday afternoon, Morales had not been taken into custody.
Teare has also raised questions about Morales’ recruitment and vetting, saying he had previously been unsuccessful in seeking a Border Patrol position. However, no evidence has established that his hiring history or training contributed to the October incident.
ICE Operation And Questions Over Intended Target
The immigration enforcement operation has also attracted scrutiny over the identity of its intended target.
ICE initially said agents were conducting a targeted operation to arrest Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, whom the agency identified as a Mexican national who had previously been deported and had a final removal order.
Teare said Mendoza-Cervantes apparently had been dead for nine years. Earlier reporting cited his daughter as saying he died in 2017.
The district attorney’s office has said it has not independently established all the circumstances surrounding the intended target, leaving questions about why agents were pursuing Parra Hernandez’s vehicle.
ICE And Prosecutors Clash Over Jurisdiction
ICE has strongly disputed the local prosecution, arguing that federal officers acting within their official duties should be investigated by federal authorities.
An agency spokesperson called the indictment a “political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians”.
Teare rejected the department’s position, describing the argument that local authorities cannot investigate federal officers as “patently false”.
“An ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone,” the district attorney said.
The case comes amid wider scrutiny of alleged misconduct by federal immigration officers during the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown. Morales has not been convicted and retains the presumption of innocence.
