Venezuelan illegal alien shot by ICE in Austin charged with assaulting a federal officer

Garces Perez has been indicted on one count of assaulting, resisting, interfering, and impeding a federal officer in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas. The incident occurred on September 20, 2026. Garces Perez, an illegal alien with a final order of removal, sustained a gunshot wound to his back.

According to an eight-page Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) affidavit, ICE agents ran Garces Perez’s license plate in the parking lot of a shopping center and learned that an immigration judge had ordered his removal from the United States. The officers observed Garces Perez exit a restaurant, get inside his vehicle, described as a blue Toyota Sedan, and take off.

ICE officers in two separate federal vehicles followed Garces Perez and initiated a traffic stop at around 12:20 pm. The illegal alien did not immediately stop. An ICE officer, identified in the affidavit as LG, blocked Garces Perez’s vehicle with his, resulting in Garces Perez pulling over on the shoulder. The other ICE officer, identified as DF, parked his vehicle behind Garces Perez, according to court documents.

DF activated his body-worn camera. Both officers approached Garces Perez’s vehicle and requested his driver’s license, which confirmed that Garces Perez was their intended target.

LG was standing at the front driver's door near the side view mirror when Garces Perez abruptly closed the window and drove off, striking LG in the torso with his side view mirror in the process, according to stills from the body-worn footage.

Garces Perez fled the scene and led agents on a high-speed chase through a commercial and residential area. DF lost sight of LG and Garces Perez and turned his body camera off.

LG contacted DF and reported that he was forced to use his pistol after Garces Perez allegedly attempted to strike him, once again, with his vehicle after another traffic stop. The pursuit ended around 12:51 pm.

During an interview, Garces Perez admitted to fleeing from ICE. He claimed that the high-speed pursuit ended when LG's vehicle struck his after Garces Perez performed an erratic turn, forcing him to come to a stop. Garces Perez said he was then shot in the back, according to court documents.

LG was not wearing a body-worn camera, per the affidavit.

Garces Perez is currently being held in custody at an ICE detention facility in Texas. A federal judge ordered him to appear in court on September 30.

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