ICE officer indicted on felony charge after Texas vehicle incident

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, Mario Alberto Morales, has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The indictment, announced by Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, alleges that on 10 October Morales pursued a vehicle driven by 48‑year‑old Miguel Parra‑Hernandez, an undocumented Mexican national living in Texas for more than 30 years. After Parra‑Hernandez and another occupant fled on foot, Morales is accused of “aggressively steering” his vehicle into Parra‑Hernandez, causing multiple leg fractures and a hip injury.

Parra‑Hernandez, who has no criminal record and was not subject to a deportation order, remains hospitalised. If convicted, Morales faces a second‑degree felony penalty of two to 20 years’ imprisonment.

ICE responded by calling the indictment “nothing more than a political stunt” and described the allegations as “reckless and false”. The agency said federal officers can only be investigated by other federal bodies and that local authorities lack jurisdiction.

District Attorney Teare said he respects law enforcement but stressed the case should deliver justice for Parra‑Hernandez and serve as a warning to ICE officers.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels.