ICE agents shoot Carlos Mendoza Hernandez six times during traffic stop in Patterson, California

In an early-morning targeted vehicle stop on April 7, 2026, at an intersection near Interstate 5 in Patterson (Stanislaus County), California, ICE agents opened fire on Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a 36-year-old father on his way to work, shooting him about six times, including in the jaw and arm. He survived after multiple surgeries and days in intensive care. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Mendoza Hernandez was a member of the 18th Street Gang wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder, and that he "weaponized his vehicle" by attempting to run over an officer, prompting agents to fire defensive shots.

His attorney, Patrick Kolasinski, contests both claims. He says investigators found no gang ties, that he has obtained a document from the government of El Salvador showing Mendoza Hernandez was once accused of murder but acquitted, and that — consistent with dashcam video obtained by KCRA and with witness accounts — his client reversed his car because he was trying to escape gunfire already underway. A retired San Jose police sergeant who reviewed the video told KGO he "saw a guy trying to get away," not an officer in danger. The government's account holds that Mendoza Hernandez drove forward and struck an agent before reversing into a federal vehicle; the conflicting sequences are documented here, not resolved.

The FBI's Sacramento field office took over the investigation of the shooting. After his release from the hospital, Mendoza Hernandez was taken into FBI custody on April 13 and was subsequently indicted on two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property. He pleaded not guilty in early May 2026. The shooting is part of a wider 2026 pattern of ICE agents firing on civilians during enforcement stops, including the fatal shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis.