Mario Alberto Morales, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer indicted by a grand jury last week, surrendered himself in a Harris County District Court Monday.
In Harris County 488th District Court, Morales entered in a gray suit and purple tie alongside his legal team David Lindenmuth and newly added co-counsel former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
In one-word answers, Morales acknowledged he understood the charge against him. Lawyers for the district attorney’s office requested a $75,000 bond due to the "violent nature" of the incident and some "admissions of prior drug use" they uncovered in their investigation.
Morales' lawyer David Lindenmuth countered and requested a $25,000 bond, arguing his client posed no flight risk and that there is no on-going threat to the community.
Judge Matthew Peneguy, who presided over the hearing, ordered a $30,000 bond and said Morales is to have no contact with any of the victims or witnesses in the case.
Morales was indicted for a second-degree felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The agent is accused of striking Miguel Parra-Hernandez with his vehicle, breaking his leg and ankle, on Oct. 10. An ICE spokesperson claimed Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle while fleeing from the scene of an attempted traffic stop.
In a press conference after the hearing, Michael Wynne, the lead defense attorney for Morales, called the indictment politically motivated. Wynne is also part of the legal team representing ICE agent Christian Castro, who was indicted in September by Minnesota prosecutors in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan man in January. He said the team anticipates filing to move Morales’ case to federal court. Wynne has already requested Castro’s case to be moved to federal court, but said that request is still pending.
“[Morales] was indicted on the last day of early voting in this Harris County —the elected district attorney jumped on it immediately,” Wynne said.
Ogg did not respond to questions about why she joined the defense team. She currently works at Wynne’s firm, and Wynne speaking on Ogg’s behalf said he was honored to have her join the team.
“There is no one in this country who has greater experience with state grand juries in Harris County [and] how these investigations should be conducted in Harris County properly than Ms. Ogg,” Wynne said. “That is why she is on the defense team.”
Parra-Hernandez's family, his lawyer and immigrant rights advocacy groups have disputed ICE's account.
Surveillance video and footage from Morales' body camera, released by the Harris County District Attorney's office, show Morales pursuing Parra-Hernandez as he ran away from the agent's unmarked vehicle. Morales' car is seen jumping the median to make a left turn into a parking lot, then hitting Parra-Hernandez from behind and coming to a stop several feet after running him over.
The indictment was announced Friday by Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said investigators developed serious concerns over Morales' actions, including how he pursued Parra-Hernandez and the manner in which Parra-Hernandez was struck.
"No badge, title, or position places anyone beyond scrutiny or accountability," Gonzalez said. "As sheriff, I take seriously our responsibility to protect everyone who lives, works, or travels through Harris County; that includes holding ourselves and our fellow law enforcement professionals to the highest standards."
David Lindenmuth, the lawyer representing Morales, called the indictment "political prosecution" in an interview with Houston Public Media. He said the collision was “nothing more than an accident”
"This officer was doing his job, and a fleeing individual caused the chaotic circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident," Lindenmuth said. "And it was unfortunate. Nobody wishes harm on this individual, including Mr. Morales, but it was not a crime. It has been manufactured to be a crime by a politically minded district attorney."
Teare said he hoped the indictment would do more than seek justice for Parra-Hernandez and his family.
"I hope that it also sends a loud and clear message to every ICE officer who feels that they have a free pass to terrorize our streets," Teare said. "The time to stop is now, and if you don’t you will be held accountable."
In a statement shared with Houston Public Media, an ICE spokesperson called allegations Morales struck Parra-Hernandez intentionally "reckless and false" and said the indictment was a "political stunt."
RELATED: ICE says its agent can’t be locally prosecuted for Houston crash. Legal experts disagree
The indictment is a rare but not unprecedented instance of state agencies prosecuting a federal agent. A federal grand jury in Minnesota indicted Texas-based ICE agent Christian Castro for making false claims to the Federal Bureau of Investigations over the shooting of a Venezuelan man in January. A legal battle ensued between the states over the extradition of the agent. Castro was ultimately arrested when he returned to Minnesota for a court appearance.
If Morales is convicted, the assault charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
Morales' background
Teare said Morales joined ICE during a hiring surge as the agency ramped up border security efforts under the second Trump administration, and he questioned Morales' qualifications to join the agency after reviewing his background.
"I can unequivocally tell you that I’ve reviewed thousands of job applications and resumes for law enforcement officers from around this state, and I’m not familiar with a single agency that would have hired this person," Teare said.
According to his lawyer, Morales held several different law enforcement type jobs over the last 12 years. He spent roughly two years in the army as a military police officer and paratrooper, but was honorably discharged in 2014 after a series of health setbacks including two traumatic brain injuries.
After the army, Lindenmuth said Morales held a couple of "courier-type" jobs, before becoming a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Two years later in 2018, he moved on to work as a processing and detention officer at the immigrant detention facility in Port Isabel.
He then worked as a contract transportation officer with ICE until becoming an official agent in August 2025.
Morales also briefly ran in the Republican primary to represent Texas' 34th congressional district. Lindenmuth added Morales has also worked as a pastor.
"This is also a man who’s devoted his life to God and Jesus as a pastor for his Christian church," Lindenmuth said. "So this is not the monster that the [district attorney] would have you believe that he is."
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