Mario Alberto Morales, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, has been indicted on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following an October incident in Houston during which he struck a Mexican construction worker with his vehicle. Morales is expected to surrender to authorities on Monday, his attorney confirmed.
The incident occurred on October 10 when Morales, driving an unmarked SUV, pursued Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, through a parking lot. Parra Hernandez was hit and suffered a broken leg. He remains in federal custody, recovering at a rehabilitation facility, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare.
Surveillance footage and body camera video released by authorities show Morales’ vehicle driving over a median before striking Parra Hernandez, who was fleeing on foot. The body camera footage captures Morales making sharp turns before stopping, exiting the vehicle, and acknowledging the collision, saying, “I was coming in, and I hit him with the car.” Parra Hernandez was reportedly screaming on the ground after being struck.
According to a Harris County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Parra Hernandez told deputies he fled when Morales began donning a mask and said Morales “threw the car” at him. Morales admitted to deputies that he did not apply the brakes before hitting Parra Hernandez but denied intentionally striking him.
ICE officials stated that the operation targeted a man named Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, believed to have been seen entering a car with Parra Hernandez. However, Mendoza-Cervantes’ daughter disputed this, telling an immigrant rights group that her father has been deceased for nearly a decade.
Morales, 34, has been with ICE for just over a year, according to his attorney, David Lindenmuth, who maintains that the collision was an accident and criticized local prosecutors for charging Morales. Lindenmuth described the indictment as an overreach by authorities.
This case marks one of the few occasions where a federal immigration officer has faced criminal charges related to use of force during enforcement operations, a notable point amid a broader context of multiple ICE shootings, some fatal, that have not led to criminal action.
District Attorney Teare commented that law enforcement agencies typically conduct extensive background checks, implying Morales' hiring raised questions due to his past. Court records reveal Morales faced misdemeanor charges for theft in 2013, which were dismissed after a plea agreement.
Morales previously ran unsuccessfully for Texas’ 34th Congressional District as “Bam Morales.” His campaign emphasized veterans’ rights, economic issues, and Christian values, including compassion and accountability. Morales also expressed concern over illegal immigration and cited an endorsement from the organization Make America Godlier Again. Video from a 2024 Christian conference shows Morales serving as a Spanish interpreter for televangelist Johnson Suleman during outreach to migrants.
The case remains under active investigation as Morales prepares to turn himself in to authorities.