A Harris County grand jury indicted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Mario Alberto Morales on Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The second-degree felony stems from an October 10 incident in northwest Houston near Texas 6 and Clay Road. Prosecutors alleged that Morales, 33, drove his unmarked 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee into 48-year-old Miguel Parra-Hernandez, a Mexican national who has illegally lived in the United States for 30 years, during an enforcement action in west Houston on October 10. The impact ran over both of his legs, resulting in Parra-Hernandez suffering a broken leg in three places, a fractured ankle, and additional injuries to his hip and knee. He required multiple surgeries and remains in a rehabilitation facility.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, announced the indictment at a news conference and claimed that body camera footage and other evidence showed Morales steering the vehicle into the fleeing man. Teare said the evidence was clear and argued that an ICE badge provides no immunity from state criminal charges.

Morales has not been taken into custody and was previously placed on administrative leave following the October incident as the investigation proceeded. He faces a maximum punishment of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

ICE issued a statement calling the charges a political stunt. The agency claims the indictment represents a political maneuver by politicians in Houston, a city with sanctuary policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agents. The agency maintained that Parra-Hernandez ran directly in front of the vehicle while officers attempted to arrest another individual.

The indictment marks a rare instance of state prosecutors charging a federal immigration agent in Texas amid heightened enforcement operations in the lead up to the November midterms. The case is another example of persistent friction between Democratic prosecutors in sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration enforcement. Sanctuary policies in cities like Houston often prevent local police from honoring ICE detainers or sharing information on illegal immigrants in custody, which critics argue creates obstacles to removing individuals present unlawfully.

This case follows an earlier incident this year in which another ICE agent faces investigation over a shooting in Houston where sanctuary policies again drew criticism from federal officials for limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement, creating unnecessary friction during routine operations.