Salvadoran Man Indicted After April Shooting During ICE Operation in California

Sat, 02 May 2026 18:37:00 +0200

Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, a 36-year-old Salvadoran man, was shot by ICE agents during an April 7 immigration operation in Patterson, California. The incident resulted in Hernández being hospitalized for six days. Federal authorities allege that he attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers, driving toward multiple agents and hitting law enforcement vehicles. Hernández’s attorney disputes this account, claiming officers fired first, prompting him to flee. Following the operation, Hernández was reportedly left handcuffed and naked on the roadside. A federal grand jury has now indicted Hernández on two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years for each assault charge and up to 10 years for the property destruction charge. The case will proceed in federal court, where the evidence and eyewitness accounts will be evaluated. The incident marks the sixth shooti