A Venezuelan food delivery driver who was shot by a federal immigration agent in Texas underwent surgery Thursday to have a bullet removed from his back after it had been lodged there for nearly two weeks.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, had the bullet successfully extracted during the procedure. A spokesperson for his legal team confirmed he is now recovering while remaining in the custody of U.S. Marshals.
The shooting occurred on September 20 in Austin, where Garces Perez was working a delivery shift for DoorDash when federal officers pulled him over. Authorities say he struck an agent with the side mirror of his vehicle while attempting to flee the scene.
Garces Perez told a different version of events, claiming he was first struck by a law enforcement SUV and spun around before the agent fired at him. Federal officers maintain that he deliberately attempted to hit an officer with his car at the conclusion of the chase before the weapon was discharged.
The ICE agent who fired the shot was not equipped with a body camera at the time of the incident. Video footage presented in court Wednesday showed the initial traffic stop and the events leading up to the shooting.
Garces Perez appeared in court Wednesday in a wheelchair and wearing an arm sling. He faces charges of assaulting a federal officer and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The case has ignited significant public backlash in Austin, with protesters rallying against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and raising concerns about the conduct of federal agents during the incident.