Federal prosecutors in Texas have officially charged 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez with assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer. The criminal complaint, unveiled Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, stems from a September 20 encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
According to an eight-page affidavit from a Department of Homeland Security investigator, the incident began when two ICE agents, identified as D.F. and L.G., spotted Garces Perez’s vehicle. After running the license plate, the agents determined that the driver was subject to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge. Both agents initiated a traffic stop, positioning their vehicles in front of and behind the delivery driver’s car. According to the HSI agent who wrote the affidavit also, He spoke to Garces Perez as part of the investigation.
The affidavit details that while the agents instructed Garces Perez to exit his vehicle, he remained inside and requested permission to move his car so his wife could collect it. Investigators allege that after approximately one minute, the driver suddenly closed his window and accelerated away. Court filings claim the car’s side-view mirror struck officer L.G. in the torso as the driver fled.
Following this initial contact, a pursuit ensued through a mix of commercial and residential zones. Officer D.F., who was operating a separate vehicle, reported that he lost sight of the situation while requesting support. Officer L.G., who was not equipped with a body camera, later informed D.F. by phone that he had fired his service weapon because the driver attempted to strike him with the vehicle.
Body camera footage from officer D.F. has been submitted as evidence, showing L.G. standing near the car and appearing to step aside as the vehicle moved forward. In his interview with investigators, Garces Perez disputed the account of the initial stop, claiming that an agent had actually struck his car first. He acknowledged fleeing the scene, stating that the chase concluded when an ICE SUV hit his vehicle, causing it to spin and come to a forced stop.
The affidavit further notes Garces Perez’s statement that, after his vehicle was disabled, he recalled officer L.G. firing into the back-right window. The driver sustained a gunshot wound to his upper back. He stated that L.G. subsequently opened the driver-side door, removed the ignition keys, and ordered him to remain in the car while awaiting an ambulance.
Garces Perez remains in custody at an ICE detention facility. His attorney and several Democratic lawmakers have expressed significant concern regarding his medical status, noting he remains in severe pain and requires surgery to address a bullet lodged near his spine. Alito recuses himself from major case on climate change and fossil fuels. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed courts RFK Jr.’s MAHA voters with new health platform.
A federal judge intervened last week, scheduling an in-person hearing for Wednesday, September 30. This judicial order effectively blocks federal authorities from deporting Garces Perez until the court proceedings move forward. Trump announces plans for largest steel plant in U.S. history to be built in Iowa. She Showed Up for a Routine Green Card Meeting.
