Texas Grand Jury Indicts ICE Officer After Houston Vehicle Incident

HOUSTON, Texas — October 30, 2026: A Texas grand jury has indicted a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer following an incident in which a man was struck by an immigration agent’s vehicle during an enforcement operation in Houston earlier this month.

The officer, identified as Mario Alberto Morales, faces a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Harris County prosecutors. The vehicle involved in the incident is being treated as the alleged deadly weapon.

The incident occurred on October 10 in a parking lot near Clay Road and Highway 6 in northwest Houston. The injured man, Miguel Parra-Hernandez, 48, was struck by an unmarked SUV after leaving a pickup truck and running through the parking lot. He suffered serious injuries, including a broken leg, and required medical treatment.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said investigators reviewed surveillance footage and other evidence before presenting the case to a grand jury. Prosecutors have argued that the video suggests the vehicle intentionally struck Parra-Hernandez.

ICE has disputed the allegation that the collision was intentional. The Department of Homeland Security previously said Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle and was struck. Federal authorities have also challenged the local prosecution, describing the indictment as a political stunt and disputing the county’s jurisdiction.

The circumstances surrounding the enforcement operation have also drawn scrutiny. ICE said agents were searching for another man believed to be in the pickup truck. However, reporting by The New York Times said the man’s family stated that he had died years earlier.

The indictment marks a significant development in the local investigation of the incident. It does not mean the officer has been convicted. The criminal case will proceed through the court system, where the allegations and evidence will be examined.