Food delivery driver charged after being shot by immigration enforcement officer in Texas

Federal prosecutors charged a Venezuelan delivery driver with assaulting a federal officer after he was shot and seriously wounded by an ICE agent in Austin while making food deliveries. The man's attorneys claim a bullet lodged near his spine poses grave medical danger and requires surgery. The criminal charges were filed just before a scheduled court appearance to challenge the legality of his immigration detention.

The incident occurred on September 20 in Austin when federal immigration enforcement officers encountered Garcés Pérez during his work as a food delivery driver. According to the criminal complaint, a physical confrontation involving his vehicle's mirror preceded a pursuit through populated neighborhoods. The timing of the criminal charges raises questions about procedural sequencing, as they were filed immediately before a scheduled hearing regarding the legality of his detention—a proceeding that would have addressed the initial enforcement action itself.

Medical complications have become central to the case. Garcés Pérez sustained a gunshot wound to his upper back, with medical professionals indicating that the retained projectile near his spinal column creates serious health risks requiring surgical intervention. His legal representatives have expressed concern that incarceration without appropriate medical treatment poses additional dangers to his condition.