A Harris County grand jury indicted ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales on Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, alleging he intentionally struck Miguel Parra Hernandez with his vehicle during a pursuit in Houston on October 10. Morales, 33, was driving an unmarked Jeep Cherokee SUV when the collision occurred in a parking lot. Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican construction worker, suffered multiple fractures to his right leg, hip and ankle injuries, and remains hospitalized and in ICE custody at a rehabilitation facility.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment at a news conference Friday, presenting body camera footage from Morales and security camera video from local businesses. The footage Teare displayed showed Morales making sharp movements with the steering wheel before the vehicle struck Parra Hernandez, who was on foot fleeing from officers. In the body camera video, Parra Hernandez is heard crying out in Spanish, "You ran over me," and Morales is heard saying, "I was coming in and I hit him with the car." Teare stated that the evidence was "as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated" and emphasized that "an ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone."
The prosecution's account contradicts ICE's statement on the incident. In its initial response, ICE said Parra Hernandez "ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck." After Teare's office released video evidence, ICE called the allegations that Morales struck Parra Hernandez intentionally "reckless and false." An ICE spokesperson said the indictment "is nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians" and asserted that only federal agencies can investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. Teare, a Democrat, responded that this claim is "false" and that local prosecutors have legal authority to investigate.
Moreales' defense attorney, David Lindenmuth, argued his client did not commit a crime, saying Morales was reacting to an oncoming truck and had to either strike the other vehicle head-on or swerve to avoid it. Lindenmuth characterized the charges as a "crime created out of thin air" and described Morales as "truly a good man, a former member of our military, that has given his entire life to public service." Morales is a former corrections officer, pastor, contracted law enforcement officer, and military veteran who filed to run for the 34th Congressional District as a Republican in March 2025 but dropped out in August 2025 before the primary. He was hired by ICE as a surge hire in August 2025.
District Attorney Teare raised concerns about Morales' hiring, stating he had reviewed thousands of law enforcement job applications and resumes and was not familiar with "a single state law agency that would have hired this person, based on his past," though he declined to provide specific details. Teare also noted that Morales was pursuing an individual named Jose Mendoza Cervantes, who according to ICE records has been dead for nine years.
Parra Hernandez, a Mexican national without a deportation order or criminal record, had lived in Harris County for more than 30 years. He was in a vehicle that ICE officers attempted to stop when he and another individual fled on foot. According to Teare, ICE has already deported at least two material witnesses to the case despite his objections, though investigators were able to interview one witness before deportation. ICE continues efforts to deport Parra Hernandez despite his status as a victim of the alleged assault.
Moreales is charged with a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. He was not in custody Friday, and a warrant for his arrest was issued. This marks the first indictment of an immigration agent in Texas, though ICE officer Christian Castro was charged in Minnesota in connection with the January shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. The incident occurred during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations.
