Texas grand jury indicts ICE agent Mario Morales over Houston vehicle strike
The gist
A Harris County grand jury indicted ICE agent Mario Morales on aggravated assault for striking a fleeing man with his vehicle.
The case is among few criminal charges against federal agents in the immigration crackdown.
How it unfolded
- Oct 10, 2026Around 7:20-7:30 a.m. near Clay Road and Highway 6 in west Houston, Morales' 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee struck Parra Hernandez, who was on foot during an enforcement operation; he suffered a broken leg and hip, leg and ankle injuries and was hospitalized.
- Oct 10, 2026Per a Harris County Sheriff's Office incident report, Parra told deputies he fled a traffic stop when Morales began pulling on a mask and that Morales 'threw the car' at him; Morales said he did not brake before hitting Parra but did not strike him intentionally.
- Oct 12, 2026Texas prosecutors were considering criminal charges against the agent, officials said.