ICE officer surrenders after grand jury indicts him for running over immigrant with vehicle in Texas
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer indicted for allegedly running over an immigrant with his vehicle during an enforcement operation in Houston, Texas, surrendered to authorities on Monday.Mario Alberto Morales appeared before the Harris County 488th District Court after a grand jury indicted him on a second-degree aggravated assault charge involving a deadly weapon. He is accused of striking Miguel Parra-Hernandez with his vehicle on October 10, leaving him with a broken leg and ankle.Morales appeared in court wearing a grey suit and purple tie, accompanied by his lawyers David Lindenmuth and former Harris County district attorney Kim Ogg.During the hearing, prosecutors sought a $75,000 bond, citing the “violent nature” of the incident and alleged admissions of prior drug use uncovered during their investigation. Morales’ defence team requested a $25,000 bond, arguing that he posed no flight risk or continuing threat to the community.Judge Matthew Peneguy set his bond at $30,000.
What happened during the Houston incident?
The incident took place on October 10 when Morales was pursuing Parra-Hernandez and another man who had fled during an enforcement operation.ICE had claimed that Parra-Hernandez ran in front of Morales’ vehicle as agents attempted to arrest another individual. However, surveillance footage and body-camera recordings released by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office have raised questions about the agency’s account.The surveillance footage reportedly shows Morales driving his Jeep Cherokee over a median and towards Parra-Hernandez as he ran away. The vehicle appears to strike him from behind before coming to a stop several feet ahead. Parra-Hernandez was subsequently seen on the ground.Morales’ body-camera footage also captured him saying, “He got hit with a car, bro,” and, “I was coming in and I hit him with the car.”Parra-Hernandez was later taken into custody with a broken leg.Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the footage contradicted ICE’s account that the man had stepped in front of the officer’s vehicle.Teare said he hoped the indictment would send a message to federal officers that they could be held accountable for their actions.“No badge, title, or position places anyone beyond scrutiny or accountability,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said after the indictment was announced.
ICE calls indictment ‘political stunt’
Morales’ lawyer Lindenmuth has maintained that his client did not deliberately strike Parra-Hernandez, describing the incident as an accident and accusing the district attorney of pursuing a politically motivated prosecution.“This officer was doing his job, and a fleeing individual caused the chaotic circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident,” Lindenmuth said.ICE also rejected the allegations, describing them as “reckless and false” and calling the indictment a “political stunt”.The agency further questioned the authority of local officials to investigate federal officers carrying out their official duties.Morales joined ICE as a federal immigration officer in August 2025 after working in several law enforcement-related roles, including as a corrections officer and a detention and processing officer at the Port Isabel Detention Center.According to his lawyer, he previously served in the Army as a military police officer and paratrooper before being honourably discharged in 2014.If convicted, Morales faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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