ICE officer indicted for allegedly driving into a man in Houston. A Texas DA says the evidence is "as clear as any."
Harris County grand jury charges ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; ICE calls it "a political stunt."
A Harris County, Texas, grand jury has indicted an ICE officer on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, accusing him of driving into a man on foot during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston, NBC News reported. The indictment is an allegation, not a finding. The officer has not been convicted.
What happened
The officer is Mario Alberto Morales, 33, according to NBC News. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment, which alleges Morales drove his SUV into Miguel Parra Hernandez on Oct. 10 during an operation in west Houston. Parra's family and representatives say he suffered hip, leg and ankle injuries, including a broken leg. NBC did not report a response from Morales.
NBC described it as the first indictment of an immigration agent in Texas. It noted that an ICE officer was charged in a Minnesota shooting in January.
What each side says, and what the record shows
Teare said the evidence is "as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated," and that video from businesses and bystanders shows the officer "deliberately running over Parra." He said ICE moved the vehicle from the scene, which hindered his request for critical data from it. ICE has not said why, according to the reporting we reviewed.
ICE claim: Parra "ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck." NBC reported on security video obtained by its Houston affiliate KPRC. As NBC describes it, a white truck is facing against traffic, and Parra and another man get out and run. An unmarked vehicle then jumps a median, heads toward Parra and swerves into his path. We have not seen the footage ourselves, and no court has ruled on what it shows. But the description does not match ICE's account, and ICE has offered no evidence for it.
ICE claim: the accusation of an intentional strike is "reckless" and "false." ICE offered no evidence for that in the reporting we reviewed. The grand jury heard the prosecution's evidence and found enough to indict, which is a lower bar than proving guilt but is not nothing.
ICE claim: the indictment is "a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians." That is a characterization of motive, and ICE has shown nothing to support it. It also attacks the people who brought the case instead of answering what the video shows.
ICE claim: only federal agencies can investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. Teare called that "false." It is a legal dispute, and NBC reported no court ruling on it.
ICE claim: it was targeting a different man, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes. His daughter told advocates her father has been dead since 2017, per NBC. We could not confirm either account independently. DHS placed the officer on administrative leave after the collision, according to a senior DHS official.
DHS says Parra was in the country without legal permission. His attorney says he has lived in the U.S. for 34 years, arriving at age 14, and has no criminal record. Either way, the charge is about the officer's conduct. NBC did not report that Parra faces any charges.
What this means for you
Immigration raids reach into workplaces and neighborhoods, and the people caught in them are often working families. An advocate told NBC that Parra was doing stucco work when he was struck. This case tests whether local prosecutors can hold federal agents to the same assault laws that apply to everyone else. We think they should, and the outcome will shape whether anyone swept up in an enforcement operation has a path to accountability.
Watch for the arraignment and for any move by the federal government to take over or challenge the case. This story is developing and will be updated.
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