ICE officer indicted on felony charge for hitting immigrant with SUV in Houston

A Texas grand jury indicted ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, accusing him of deliberately striking a Mexican man with his vehicle during a pursuit in Houston. ICE called the case a political stunt.

A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, has indicted a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly hitting a man with his vehicle in Houston, District Attorney Sean Teare announced Friday.

If convicted, Officer Mario Alberto Morales faces between two and 20 years in prison. Teare said he expected Morales to be taken into custody soon and that prosecutors were in contact with his attorney.

'Aggressively steered his vehicle'

The Harris County Criminal Justice Center in Houston

According to Teare, Morales was pursuing a vehicle driven by Miguel Parra-Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican national, on Oct. 10. Parra-Hernandez and another person fled on foot, and Morales "aggressively steered his vehicle into Parra-Hernandez," running over both of his legs with a 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the prosecutor said.

Parra-Hernandez suffered a broken leg. Body camera footage played at a news conference shows the officer saying: "Like, I was coming in, and I hit him with the car." In a 911 call, however, Morales told a dispatcher that Parra-Hernandez had hit his vehicle.

Teare said Parra-Hernandez has lived in Texas without documentation for more than 30 years, has no criminal record and had no deportation order at the time. He remains in ICE custody and is missing deportation hearings because he cannot leave the rehabilitation facility where he is recovering.

ICE: 'A political stunt'

ICE called the indictment "a political stunt" and said local officials lack the authority to investigate federal officers for performing their duties. "Allegations that ICE struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez intentionally are RECKLESS and FALSE," the agency said. Shortly after the incident, an ICE spokesperson had said Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle.

Teare also said the man ICE said agents were pursuing, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, appears to have died nine years ago.

"An ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill or violate the constitutional rights of anyone," Teare said, adding a message to officers who feel they have "a free pass to terrorize our streets": "The time to stop is now, and if you don't, you will be held accountable."

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