An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer indicted for allegedly running over an immigrant with his vehicle during an enforcement operation in Houston, Texas, surrendered to authorities on Monday.
uncertain
officer → indict → Monday
Mario Alberto Morales appeared before the Harris County 488th District Court after a grand jury indicted him on a second-degree aggravated assault charge involving a deadly weapon.
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jury → appear → weapon
He is accused of striking Miguel Parra-Hernandez with his vehicle on October 10, leaving him with a broken leg and ankle.
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He → accuse → leg
Morales appeared in court wearing a grey suit and purple tie, accompanied by his lawyers David Lindenmuth and former Harris County district attorney Kim Ogg.
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Morales → appear → lawyers
During the hearing, prosecutors sought a $75,000 bond, citing the "violent nature" of the incident and alleged admissions of prior drug use uncovered during their investigation.
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prosecutors → seek → investigation
Morales' defence team requested a $25,000 bond, arguing that he posed no flight risk or continuing threat to the community.
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he → request → community
Judge Matthew Peneguy set his bond at $30,000.
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Peneguy → set → 30,000
What happened during the Houston incident?
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What → happen → incident
The incident took place on October 10 when Morales was pursuing Parra-Hernandez and another man who had fled during an enforcement operation.
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who → take → operation
ICE had claimed that Parra-Hernandez ran in front of Morales' vehicle as agents attempted to arrest another individual.
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agents → claim → individual
However, surveillance footage and body-camera recordings released by the Harris County District Attorney's Office have raised questions about the agency's account.
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footage → release → account
The surveillance footage reportedly shows Morales driving his Jeep Cherokee over a median and towards Parra-Hernandez as he ran away.
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he → show → Hernandez
The vehicle appears to strike him from behind before coming to a stop several feet ahead.
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vehicle → appear → stop
Parra-Hernandez was subsequently seen on the ground.
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Hernandez → see → ground
Morales' body-camera footage also captured him saying, "He got hit with a car, bro," and, "I was coming in and I hit him with the car."
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I → capture → car
Parra-Hernandez was later taken into custody with a broken leg.
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Hernandez → take → leg
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the footage contradicted ICE's account that the man had stepped in front of the officer's vehicle.
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man → say → vehicle
Teare said he hoped the indictment would send a message to federal officers that they could be held accountable for their actions.
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they → say → actions
"No badge, title, or position places anyone beyond scrutiny or accountability," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said after the indictment was announced.
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indictment → place → scrutiny
ICE calls indictment 'political stunt'
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ICE → call → indictment
Morales' lawyer Lindenmuth has maintained that his client did not deliberately strike Parra-Hernandez, describing the incident as an accident and accusing the district attorney of pursuing a politically motivated prosecution.
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client → maintain → prosecution
"This officer was doing his job, and a fleeing individual caused the chaotic circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident," Lindenmuth said.
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Lindenmuth → do → incident
ICE also rejected the allegations, describing them as "reckless and false" and calling the indictment a "political stunt".
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ICE → reject → indictment
The agency further questioned the authority of local officials to investigate federal officers carrying out their official duties.
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agency → question → duties
Morales joined ICE as a federal immigration officer in August 2025 after working in several law enforcement-related roles, including as a corrections officer and a detention and processing officer at the Port Isabel Detention Center.
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Morales → join → Center
According to his lawyer, he previously served in the Army as a military police officer and paratrooper before being honourably discharged in 2014.
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he → accord → 2014
If convicted, Morales faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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Morales → convict → prison
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