Warrant pending for indicted ICE officer in Houston vehicle strike, DA says

ICE denies officer targeted man on purpose, calls charges political stunt

Indicted ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales is not in custody, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Friday, and a warrant for his arrest would be issued. A lawyer for Morales did not respond to a request for comment. A Texas grand jury charged Morales with the second-degree offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly used his vehicle to strike Miguel Parra Hernandez, who was running away on foot, during an Oct. 10 pursuit in Houston.

Only a few local prosecutors have attempted to charge immigration officials over their conduct during President Trump’s mass deportation push. Minnesota’s Hennepin County has charged two ICE agents with assault stemming from their conduct during the enforcement surge in that state, and one of the agents has also been charged by the Justice Department with making false statements to investigators. It is rare for state officials to prosecute federal agents for actions related to their official duties, and federal agents have legal protections that can make it challenging to convict them.

Teare said Morales initiated a vehicle pursuit of a car driven by Parra Hernandez at about 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 10 in Houston. Parra Hernandez and another passenger left the car and fled on foot during the chase, Teare said.

Video footage played at a Friday press conference appeared to show Morales’ vehicle pursuing Parra Hernandez as he ran and striking him from behind. Teare said Morales “aggressively steered his vehicle” into Parra Hernandez, running over both of his legs and leaving him with several fractures. Parra Hernandez is now in a rehabilitation facility and remains in ICE custody, according to Teare.

Morales called 911 after the incident and told the dispatcher, “I tried to get around him and he hit my car,” according to an audio recording played at the press conference.

“My hope is that this prosecution will do more than just seek justice for the Parra Hernandez family and Mr. Parra Hernandez,” Teare said. “I hope that it also sends a loud and clear message to every ICE officer who feels that they have a free pass to terrorize our streets. The time to stop is now.”

An ICE spokesperson denied that Morales intentionally struck Parra Hernandez and called the charges “a political stunt.” The spokesperson said Harris County lacked the authority to charge Morales because he was acting within the scope of his duties. “Allegations that ICE struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez intentionally are RECKLESS and FALSE,” the spokesperson said. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Teare said Parra Hernandez is a Mexican national who had lived in Harris County for more than 30 years. Parra Hernandez was not authorized to be in the United States but had no criminal record and had no deportation proceedings against him at the time of the incident, Teare said.

Teare said ICE hired Morales in August 2025. Without specifying the details of Morales’ background, Teare said he had concerns about the officer’s qualifications for the position. “I’m not familiar with a single agency that would have hired this person, based on his past,” Teare said. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security commented on Morales’ background.