Houston ICE agent charged for allegedly running over a man. Then prosecutors reveal the person he was actually looking for

A US immigration agent faces a felony charge after allegedly hitting a man with his vehicle in Texas. A grand jury indicted ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following an incident earlier this month, the BBC reports.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment on Friday at a news conference in Houston. Teare explained that the incident occurred on the morning of October 10. According to the prosecutor, Morales was pursuing a vehicle driven by 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez. Parra Hernandez is a Mexican national who has lived in Texas for more than 30 years without legal documentation.

Teare stated that Parra Hernandez and another person in the vehicle fled on foot. He alleged that Morales then aggressively steered his vehicle into the man. Teare noted that Parra Hernandez had no criminal record and was not subject to a deportation order. The injuries sustained by Parra Hernandez were significant. Teare said, “Not only did he hit Mr Hernandez, he ran over both of his legs, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalised to this day.” Following the collision, Morales reportedly called 911 to claim that Parra Hernandez had hit his car.

The investigation into the case revealed a bizarre detail regarding the target of the immigration operation

Teare mentioned that ICE was allegedly pursuing a man named Jose Mendoza Cervantes. This individual is a Mexican national and undocumented immigrant who has apparently been dead for nine years.

If convicted of the second-degree felony, Morales faces between two to 20 years in prison. Teare emphasized that he holds respect for law enforcement and believes undocumented individuals who are violent felons should be deported. He stated that he hoped this prosecution would deliver justice for Parra Hernandez and his family. He added that he wants to send “a loud and clear message to every ICE officer who feels that they have a free pass to terrorise our streets”.

ICE has strongly rejected the findings of the grand jury. Immediately after the incident, an ICE spokesperson stated that Parra Hernandez had run in front of the agent’s vehicle. Following the indictment, the agency issued a statement describing the legal action as “nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians.”

The spokesperson claimed that the allegations were “reckless and false.” The statement added that the men and women of ICE “are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct.”

Furthermore, ICE maintains that local governments lack the authority to investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. The agency asserts that such investigations should only be handled by other federal agencies.

The incident occurs during a period marked by the Trump administration’s focus on immigration enforcement and a series of violent incidents involving federal agents that have led to injuries and deaths. The agency spokesperson insisted that the allegations of intentional conduct by Morales were “RECKLESS and FALSE.” The case remains a point of contention between local prosecutors and federal immigration authorities.