A Venezuelan delivery driver who was shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin, Texas, underwent surgery on Thursday to remove a bullet that had remained lodged in his back for nearly two weeks, according to his legal team.Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was shot by an ICE officer on September 20 after he allegedly fled a traffic stop. The Guardian reported that the bullet was successfully removed and that Garces Perez is recovering in the custody of the US Marshals.Garces Perez was taken to a hospital after the shooting but was later transferred to ICE custody with the bullet still lodged near his spine. His lawyers and supporters had sought medical treatment, warning that the bullet’s position could affect sensation on the left side of his body.He appeared in federal court in a wheelchair on Wednesday, with his left arm in a sling. Federal prosecutors have charged him with assaulting and resisting a federal officer. If convicted on the assault charge, he could face up to 20 years in prison.According to federal prosecutors, ICE officers encountered Garces Perez while checking license plates and found that he had a final removal order. After a traffic stop, he allegedly drove away, with his side-view mirror striking an officer in the torso. The officer later shot him in the back after a brief vehicle pursuit.The ICE officer who fired the shot was not wearing a body camera. Garces Perez has disputed the authorities’ account, saying a law enforcement SUV struck his car and caused it to spin before he was shot.The case has drawn protests in Austin over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and the conduct of federal officers.
