ICE officer indicted in Texas for allegedly running over immigrant with vehicle

A Harris County grand jury indicted ICE enforcement officer Mario Alberto Morales on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, alleging he deliberately drove his SUV into Miguel Parra Hernandez on Oct. 10. The indictment, the first against an immigration agent in Texas, was presented Friday morning.

District Attorney Sean Teare said the evidence was “as clear as any that I’ve ever prosecuted or investigated” and emphasized that an ICE badge does not permit violations of constitutional rights. The collision left Parra with hip, leg and ankle injuries, including a broken leg.

ICE initially claimed Parra “ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.” After reviewing security footage from local businesses and bystanders, prosecutors said the video shows a white truck traveling opposite traffic, a second vehicle crossing a median, and the unmarked ICE SUV swerving into Parra’s path, resulting in him being run over.

In response, an ICE spokesperson called the indictment “nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians” and argued that only federal agencies have authority to investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. A senior Department of Homeland Security official later placed the officer on administrative leave.

Parra, a 34-year-resident who arrived in the United States at age 14, had no criminal record, according to his attorney. He was performing stucco work when the incident occurred. DHS said he was in the country without legal permission. ICE said the operation targeted a different individual, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, and not Parra or the other man who fled on foot.