Suspected Gang-Linked Immigrant Arrested Following Incident with ICE Officer

The FBI apprehended a man on Monday, who is suspected to be an illegal immigrant and gang member, after he allegedly struck an ICE officer with his car during a traffic stop last week.

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, aged 36, originally from El Salvador and residing near San Francisco, California, faces charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, as announced by the Department of Justice on Tuesday.

Authorities had conducted a targeted vehicle stop suspecting Mendoza Hernandez of having ties to the notorious 18th Street Gang. They also believed he was in the United States illegally and was wanted in El Salvador in relation to a murder investigation.

In his bid to escape, Mendoza Hernandez is accused of using his vehicle as a weapon, prompting law enforcement officers to open fire. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he spent several days before being cleared to be taken into custody.

Authorities have stated that Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez “weaponized” his car during the traffic stop in California on April 7, 2026.

“Mendoza Hernandez refused to comply with lawful orders from federal officers, operated his vehicle in a manner that damaged a federal vehicle, and drove his vehicle toward officers in a manner that would have caused serious bodily injury or death had the officers not taken evasive action,” FBI Special Agent Brian Toy said in a recently unsealed criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

According to federal prosecutors, four agents conducted the targeted vehicle stop in Patterson, California, about 70 miles southeast of San Francisco, last Tuesday. 

As agents attempted to detain him, he “eventually drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle.” He then reversed abruptly and violently collided with a law enforcement vehicle parked behind him in a possible attempt to create room to escape, the complaint said. 

He again attempted to ram two agents in front of him, forcing one agent to jump out of the way to avoid harm.

“Based on my training and experience, and after reviewing relevant video evidence from the encounter, I believe that if Agent 1 had not moved, he/she would have been struck by Mendoza Hernandez and would have suffered serious bodily injury or death,” Toy said in the complaint. 

Footage shows the shooting unfolding in the middle of a busy road.

In response to his vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms, striking Mendoza Hernandez several times.

Mendoza Hernandez then fled the scene by jumping the center median and driving the wrong way against traffic, eventually bringing his car to a stop on the side of the road.

The attorney representing Mendoza Hernandez said that his client was shot in the mouth, left arm, left leg, abdomen and somewhere on his right side, according to Fox 2 KTVU. 

He was reportedly in the ICU as of Monday and “was in no condition” to be released, attorney Patrick Kolasinki added. 

Hernandez Mendoza begins to reverse his vehicle during a targeted traffic stop, officials say.  (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California)

His family and attorney have also disputed ICE’s claim of gang ties, while citing documents that reportedly show he was acquitted of murder in El Salvador, the outlet reported.

“Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez is a loving father and partner who was shot today by ICE in a tragic case of mistaken identity,” Kolasinki said last week in a GoFundMe page. 

“On his way to work, Carlos was stopped by ICE and, in a moment of fear, tried to flee. The situation escalated, and he was shot. Now, Carlos is in the hospital, fighting for his life, while his fiancée Cindy and their 2-year-old daughter wait and hope for his recovery.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said his custody status will be determined during his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge.

If convicted, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Fox News Digital reached out to attorney Patrick Kolasinki for more information.