Houston DA Indicts ICE Officer; Agency Calls It a 'Political Stunt'

A Harris County grand jury on Friday indicted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Mario Alberto Morales on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said, setting up a direct clash between a Democratic local prosecutor and federal immigration authorities just days before the midterm elections.

ICE fired back within hours. In an emailed statement reported by NBC News, an ICE spokesperson called the indictment “nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians” and argued that only federal agencies can investigate “federal officers acting in the course of their duties.”

Body camera video shows an ICE agent's chilling response to running over Miguel Parra Hernandez, a Houston immigrant, in northwest Houston on Oct. 10.

The agent, Mario Alberto Morales, was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a… pic.twitter.com/5L3eQpv2x0

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) October 30, 2026

The charge stems from an Oct. 10 pursuit in west Harris County near state Highway 6 and Clay Road, according to the Houston Chronicle. Prosecutors allege Morales, 33, drove his SUV into Miguel Parra-Hernandez, 48, as he ran from agents on foot, NBC News reported. The district attorney’s office said the charge is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison, according to NBC News and FOX 26 Houston.

NBC News reported that the indictment is the first of an immigration agent in Texas. The Houston Chronicle reported that it represents a rare instance of a state prosecutor pursuing charges against immigration authorities.

What the DA says the video shows

At a Friday news conference, District Attorney Sean Teare played body-camera footage he said belonged to Morales, edited to play alongside security camera video from a local business, according to NBC News. “The evidence that we have in this case is as clear as any that I’ve ever prosecuted or investigated,” Teare said, according to NBC News.

Teare also said, according to NBC News, that “an ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone.” NBC News reported that Teare, a Democrat, called it “false” that local authorities cannot investigate.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said two people arrested in a separate operation were handcuffed and shackled inside the ICE vehicle when it struck Parra-Hernandez, according to NBC News.

ICE and the officer’s lawyer push back

ICE has said Parra-Hernandez “ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck,” and has called claims that the officer hit him on purpose “reckless” and “false,” according to NBC News. ICE said the operation was aimed at arresting a different man, not Parra-Hernandez, NBC News reported.

Morales’ attorney, David A. Lindenmuth, told NBC News his client is being charged with “a crime created out of thin air.” Lindenmuth said Morales was reacting to an oncoming vehicle and had to either hit it head-on or “deviate,” according to NBC News. “He did not intentionally strike this person,” Lindenmuth said, per NBC News.

Lindenmuth also called Teare’s criticism of Morales’ hiring “atrocious,” telling NBC News that Morales served two years in the military as a military police officer and paratrooper. FOX 26 Houston reported that Morales was one of ICE’s surge hires in August 2025.

NBC News reported that a senior Department of Homeland Security official said earlier this month that the department had placed an officer on administrative leave after the collision. DHS has said Parra-Hernandez was in the country without legal permission, according to NBC News.

A jurisdiction fight

The case puts a sharp question in front of the courts: whether a county prosecutor can bring state charges against a federal officer over actions taken during a federal enforcement operation. ICE’s position, as stated to NBC News, is that local governments lack that authority. Teare’s office is also investigating a separate July shooting by an ICE officer during a vehicle stop, NBC News reported.

It was not immediately clear when Morales would appear in court.

Sources

• NBC News: ICE officer is indicted after striking, injuring immigrant with his vehicle in Houston
• FOX 26 Houston: ICE agent indicted in Harris County for aggravated assault
• Houston Chronicle: Grand jury indicts ICE agent for hitting Houston immigrant with SUV

Reporting by Daily Beltway.