Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent in Texas charged with assault

September 30, 2026 at 04:27 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker, was charged on Tuesday with assaulting a federal officer after an ICE agent shot him in the back during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas on September 20. The charge stems from an alleged sideswipe of the officer with his car's side-view mirror as he attempted to flee. Garces Perez faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Key Facts

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was charged in federal court in Austin on Tuesday with assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The incident occurred on September 20 during a DoorDash delivery near a shopping centre in Austin, Texas.
Garces Perez was shot in the upper back and the bullet remains lodged, according to his lawyers.
A judge last week temporarily blocked Garces Perez's deportation.

The Traffic Stop

An ICE officer initiated the traffic stop after a database check confirmed the blue Toyota sedan was registered to Garces Perez, who had a final order of removal from the US. Garces Perez told investigators that a law enforcement SUV caused a collision by pulling an abrupt manoeuvre, but federal agents said there was no contact between their vehicles and his car when they first pulled him over. According to the court filing, Garces Perez admitted he knew he would be arrested and declined to exit his car when ordered to do so.

The Shooting and Chase

Garces Perez drove away, allegedly striking the officer in the torso with the driver's side-view mirror. The court filing alleges that Garces Perez led agents on a high-speed chase through a commercial and residential area. The pursuit ended when a federal agent's SUV struck his car and caused it to spin around, after which an agent fired his pistol into the back right window. The justice department said the officer fired after Garces Perez allegedly attempted to strike the officer with his car.

Legal Proceedings

Garces Perez appeared in court on Tuesday, and his lawyers said they only learned of the court appearance afterwards. He entered the US in 2024 using CBP One, an asylum-seeker programme introduced by President Joe Biden and cancelled by President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security said last week that Garces Perez has received 'some of the best medical care he's ever received in his life'.