An alleged gang member, reportedly in the U.S. illegally and sought for a murder investigation in El Salvador, was shot by federal agents in California on Tuesday. Authorities claim the man attempted to run over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with his vehicle.
ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Fox News that the incident occurred after ICE agents executed a targeted vehicle stop in Patterson, California, aiming to apprehend Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez. Mendoza Hernandez is suspected to be affiliated with the 18th Street Gang and is wanted in El Salvador for questioning related to a murder case.
A senior federal law enforcement source revealed that Mendoza Hernandez was identified by the National Targeting Center.
According to officials, as agents approached, Mendoza Hernandez allegedly used his car as a weapon, trying to run over an ICE officer.
The confrontation was captured on video, showing the dramatic encounter on a busy roadway.
“Our officers, following their training, discharged their weapons defensively to safeguard themselves, their colleagues, and the public,” Lyons stated.
Mendoza Hernandez was taken to a local hospital.
The extent of his injuries and current condition have not yet been released.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents respond to the ICE-involved shooting scene on April 7, 2026. (KOVR/NNS)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Sacramento field office said it is responding to the incident, which it said involved ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“We are conducting a thorough investigation,” FBI Sacramento wrote in a statement. “… [We] are grateful for the Patterson community’s continued patience and support.”
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said it is assisting with the investigation.
The department noted local law enforcement were not involved in the incident.
An agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) waits in a hallway outside of a courtroom at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York on July 17, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for his second term, after successfully campaigning against an alleged “invasion” by criminals. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)
The incident happened months after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed Jan. 7 by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, prompting nationwide protests.
Following the shooting, officials said Good was attempting to ram federal agents with her car during an anti-ICE protest.
An FBI agent on scene of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good and image of Good split. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images and ODU English Department/Facebook)
Patterson, California, is located about 70 miles southeast of San Francisco, just off Interstate 5.
The rural city is known for farming almonds, apricots and other crops.
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