Grand Jury Indicts ICE Officer for Aggravated Assault in Houston

A federal immigration officer faces criminal charges in Texas for an on-duty incident that prosecutors say involved an intentional vehicle strike. The indictment marks one of the few local prosecutions of a federal agent during the current administration's immigration enforcement push.

Mario Alberto Morales, 33, was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on Friday. The charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. Morales was not in custody on Friday, and District Attorney Sean Teare said a warrant will be issued for his arrest.

The incident occurred on October 10. Morales was driving an unmarked Jeep Cherokee through a parking lot when he struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48. Parra Hernandez was running away during the pursuit. He suffered a broken leg and remains in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility. Teare said the victim had lived in Harris County for more than 30 years and did not have a deportation order or criminal background.

ICE claimed Parra Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle. Teare stated that video evidence contradicts that account. During a Friday news conference, Teare played body camera footage from Morales. The video shows Morales making sharp steering moves before the SUV shakes. Morales gets out of the vehicle and walks toward Parra Hernandez, who is on the ground holding his leg.

In the footage, Morales is heard saying, "He got hit with a car, bro." He later adds, "I was coming in and I hit him with the car." Teare said the evidence in the case is as clear as any he has prosecuted or investigated.

David Lindenmuth, Morales' attorney, said his client did not commit a crime. Lindenmuth described Morales as a former military member who served as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for just over a year. He accused Teare of indicting Morales for political gain and said the agency invented a crime out of thin air.

ICE stated that local officials lack the authority to investigate federal officers acting in their duties. The agency called allegations of intentional action reckless and false. Teare noted that Morales left the scene before the vehicle could be impounded. He also said the Department of Homeland Security has not cooperated with his investigators and accused ICE of destroying evidence either intentionally or through gross negligence.

Questions have also arisen about the target of the operation. ICE released a photo of Jose Mendoza-Cervantes and identified him as the person being sought that day. Family members of Parra Hernandez said they had never heard of him. FIEL, a Houston immigrant rights group, said Mendoza-Cervantes' daughter told them her father has been dead since 2017. ICE has not responded to those claims.

Teare's office previously stated its investigation did not find that Parra Hernandez and Mendoza-Cervantes were in a vehicle together, which contradicts ICE's statement. This case follows a July incident where an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, in his van. DHS said Araujo weaponized his vehicle, a claim disputed by other passengers in the van.

The next step is the issuance of the arrest warrant for Morales. Teare's office continues its separate investigation into the summer shooting. ICE has not commented on the destruction of evidence claims.