A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who is accused of intentionally ramming his car into a Mexican construction worker in Houston turned himself in Monday, his attorney said.
Mario Alberto Morales made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for striking Miguel Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10, as Morales chased the 48-year-old construction worker through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales, 33, on Friday.
During Monday's hearing, Judge Matthew Peneguy set bond at $30,000. Prosecutors had asked that bond be set at $75,000, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Morales is one of just a few federal officers who have faced criminal charges over their actions on the job during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Other encounters have come under investigation.
ICE has asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales' vehicle, an account that prosecutors say is contradicted by video. Surveillance camera video shows Morales’ vehicle drive over a median and strike Parra Hernandez as he runs away.
David Lindenmuth, Morales’ attorney, has said his client was “truly a good man” and did not commit a crime.
Parra Hernandez broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare.
Morales had worked as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for a little more than a year, Lindenmuth said. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress this year and previously served in the Army.
Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs, according to Harris County Court records. Those charges were dismissed under a plea deal in which he paid a $270 fine.
Wilder and Brook are corps members for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Cesar Espinosa, FIEL executive director, center, speaks during a news conference at FIEL in Houston, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, about the indictment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Mario Alberto Morales by a Harris County grand jury. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging the Trump administration to carry out another wave of strikes on Iran, officials told The Associated Press.
Iran said Monday it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of striking a shipping port.
Israel's military said it was wrapping up a sweeping operation after a shooting in Hebron killed two soldiers.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Monday. Read our full coverage here.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for another wave of strikes on Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.
U.S. President Donald Trump has alternated between threatening major strikes while pushing for a deal with Iran.
The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress. The two officials said the mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports.
They said more talks are planned for this week. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified briefings they had received from American officials and one Israeli official.
Netanyahu pressed for strikes during a call over the weekend with Trump, who would not commit to taking military action, according to a person who was briefed on the call.
Other U.S. allies in the Middle East are warning against more strikes, saying it would destabilize the region, a third regional official said.
The Israeli government did not immediately comment. The White House did not directly respond to questions about Netanyahu and Trump’s discussion of potential new strikes during the weekend call.
— By Samy Magdy and Aamer Madhani
Iran said it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the U.S. if Washington meets its demands.
Iran previously said the plan could be implemented within a week if the U.S. met seven conditions, including lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran now says ships passing through the reopened strait would have to follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman. Separately, Iranian officials have said the U.S. must lift sanctions on Iranian oil sales and agree to a ceasefire that would include Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the plan remained the basis for negotiations with Washington through mediators, despite the shorter implementation timeline. “This once again demonstrates Iran’s good-faith approach,” he added.
A vessel transiting the strait was struck by an “unknown projectile” that left a hole in the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Monday. All crew members were reported safe, the agency said.
Iran has claimed attacks on vessels it says took unauthorized routes while it said other vessels have reportedly struck mines laid by the Islamic Republic in the early days of the war. The U.S. military denies the naval mines claims, saying that all internationally recognized routes have been cleared of mines by U.S. forces.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Monday accused Saudi Arabia of striking a port along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, setting fire to ships. Earlier, the Houthi-run health ministry said explosives hit a market in southwestern Yemen, killing two children and one other person.
Saudi authorities did not immediately comment. The Associated Press could not independently verify the two claims.
The Houthis have claimed recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying they targeted an airport and military transport aircraft.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni military said a Houthi missile struck a medical center in the Madaribah district in Lahij province, which is close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The attack killed at least five people, including three medical personnel, and wounded 15 others, including seven medical workers, according to the Human Rights Ministry.
Another Houthi attack on a public market in the Aqroudh village in Lahij killed and wounded a total of 26 people, the ministry said, without providing a breakdown.
The latest attacks are part of the Houthis’ ongoing battles with the Yemeni military forces and their allies, which have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation and caused many to flee.
China said Monday it plans to send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters the envoy would focus on easing tensions and promoting regional stability.
The move comes as China seeks to expand its influence in the rapidly changing region, which it depends on for a large share of its oil.
The Israeli military said Monday it ended an operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank that began last month after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. It said it demolished the gunmen’s residences and confiscated weapons and illegal vehicles.
The operation, focused on the area where the shooting took place, displaced hundreds of Palestinians. They began returning home Monday as some Israeli forces withdrew from one of the most tense cities in the territory. In Deir Bahha, some residents found their homes were damaged in military raids.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets his supporters at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem after the release of the first exit poll results in Israel's general election, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
A bird flies low over the water as cargo ships lie at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, early Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
