A Venezuelan man who was shot and wounded by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Texas has been charged with assaulting a federal officer, according to court records.
The charge stems from the same encounter in which the agent opened fire, leaving the man hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Authorities have not released his name or his current medical condition.
The shooting happened in Texas, though officials have not specified the exact city or date. ICE has confirmed an agent discharged a weapon during an operation but has released few other details.
The assault charge suggests federal prosecutors believe the man, who immigration authorities say was in the country illegally, threatened or attacked the agent before shots were fired. His defense attorneys have not publicly responded to the allegation.
Under federal law, assaulting a federal officer carries up to eight years in prison, or up to 20 years if a deadly weapon is involved. Prosecutors have not said which provision they are pursuing.
The case adds to a growing list of violent encounters between ICE agents and immigrants during the Trump administration's expanded deportation operations. ICE has ramped up arrests nationwide, and agents have increasingly carried out operations in residential neighborhoods and outside courthouses, sometimes with armed confrontations.
Immigrant advocacy groups have criticized the agency's tactics, saying agents escalate situations that could be resolved without force. ICE has said its officers face dangerous conditions and are trained to respond to threats.
Texas has been a focal point of the enforcement push. The state has signed agreements allowing local police to assist with immigration arrests, and some jurisdictions have seen protests outside detention facilities.
The man charged is expected to appear in federal court once he is released from medical care. It is unclear whether he has a lawyer. Federal prosecutors in Texas have not commented beyond the charging documents.
ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the shooting, which is standard practice when an agent fires a weapon. The agency has not said whether the agent involved has been placed on administrative leave.
Details about what prompted the encounter remain scarce. Neither ICE nor the Justice Department has released body camera footage or a timeline of events. The case is likely to draw attention from both immigration hardliners and civil rights groups as it moves through the courts.
