ICE Agent to Turn Himself In Monday

Mario Alberto Morales, a 33-year-old immigration enforcement agent, plans to turn himself in to a Harris County court on Monday. His attorney, David Lindenmuth, confirmed the schedule to The Associated Press on Friday. Morales faces a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

A grand jury returned the indictment on Friday. The charge stems from an incident on October 10 in which Morales struck Miguel Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV. Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, was running through a parking lot at the time.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Parra Hernandez suffered a broken leg. The worker is recovering in a rehabilitation center while remaining in federal custody. Teare told reporters on Friday that authorities possess a substantial amount of information regarding Morales.

The federal agency involved, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stated that Parra Hernandez ran directly in front of the vehicle. Surveillance video shows the SUV crossing a median and hitting the man as he fled. Teare also played footage from Morales’ body camera during a press conference.

In that video, Morales makes sharp turns with the steering wheel before stopping. He exits the car and turns toward Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground yelling. Another ICE agent arrives, and Morales is heard saying, 'I was coming in and I hit him with the car.'

A Harris County police incident report reviewed by The Associated Press includes statements from both men. Parra Hernandez told agents he ran when Morales put on a mask. He said the agent threw his car at him. Morales told agents he did not brake before the impact but did not intend to hit Parra Hernandez.

ICE said the operation targeted Jose Mendoza Cervantes. The agency claimed officials saw Mendoza Cervantes get into a car with Parra Hernandez. Mendoza Cervantes’ daughter told the immigrant rights group FIEL that her father has been dead for nearly ten years.

Lindenmuth told The Associated Press earlier that the incident was clearly just an accident. He said local authorities invented a crime out of nothing. Lindenmuth also confirmed that Morales has served as an ICE agent for just over a year.

Court records show Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs. Those charges were dismissed after he paid a $270 fine and reached a plea agreement. This year, he ran unsuccessfully for the 34th Congressional District in Texas under the name Bam Morales.

In a candidate questionnaire for Ballotpedia, Morales listed his service in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. He also listed work as a prison officer and law enforcement agent. He cited illegal immigration as one of the nation's biggest challenges. He noted that his priorities included veterans' rights, economic issues, and a service guided by Christian principles.

Morales also wrote that he received backing from an organization called Make America Godlier Again. In 2024, he appeared at a Christian conference hosted by televangelist Johnson Suleman. In a video from the event, Morales translates for Suleman as the televangelist serves free food. Suleman says, 'I want to pray for the immigrants. I bless them. May the Lord grant their request and open their doors to them.'

Morales is one of a small number of federal agents criminally charged for injuring people during the government's aggressive immigration enforcement. Last month, ICE agent Christian Castro pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to the FBI. Castro shot and wounded a Venezuelan man during a Minneapolis operation earlier this year. In many other ICE shootings, including some fatal ones, no charges have been filed against the agents involved.