ICE Agent Indicted in Texas Over Hitting Mexican Construction Worker With Vehicle

A United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas after striking a Mexican construction worker with his vehicle last month, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Incident Details and Charges

According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales was driving an unmarked SUV in Houston on October 10 when he struck Miguel Parra Hernandez. Parra Hernandez, a Mexican construction worker who has lived in Harris County for over 30 years with no criminal background or deportation order, was running away during a pursuit through a parking lot.

On Friday, prosecutors announced that Morales was charged with a second-degree felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors stated that a warrant would be issued for his arrest, as he was not in custody on Friday.

Conflicting Accounts and Video Evidence

District Attorney Sean Teare stated during a news conference that video evidence contradicts claims made by ICE. While ICE asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle, Mr. Teare described the evidence as exceptionally clear.

Surveillance footage and body camera recordings played at the news conference showed the officer's vehicle making sharp steering movements before striking Parra Hernandez. Parra Hernandez sustained a broken leg, nerve damage, and chronic pain, and remained in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility.

Defense attorney David Lindenmuth stated that his client did not commit a crime, arguing that the incident was clearly an accident and asserting that the district attorney brought charges for political reasons. Morales told deputies he did not brake because he was trying to avoid another truck in the parking lot.

Disputed Operation Targets

Questions have also been raised regarding the target of the ICE operation. After the incident, ICE released a photo of another man, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, claiming he was the operation's target and was seen entering a vehicle with Parra Hernandez. However, an immigrant rights group in Houston, FIEL, stated that Mendoza-Cervantes's daughter reported her father has been deceased since 2017. Prosecutors noted their investigation found no evidence that the two men were in a vehicle together.

Practical Implications and Verification

Legal proceedings will continue in Harris County, Texas, where the grand jury indictment was announced. Observers seeking to verify the official announcements can review statements and updates issued directly by the Harris County District Attorney's Office or consult court records associated with the second-degree felony charge filed against Mario Alberto Morales.