A Salvadoran national residing unlawfully in the United States faced federal assault charges on Thursday, accused of using his car to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
A federal grand jury indicted Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, charging him with two counts of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destroying government property, as announced by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California on Friday.
Authorities stated that ICE agents shot Hernandez in April after he allegedly defied orders from law enforcement officers.
On April 7, agents were dispatched to Patterson, California, with the mission to locate Hernandez. Upon spotting him and his vehicle, they initiated a traffic stop.
According to court documents, Hernandez “weaponized” his vehicle during the stop in California on April 7, 2026. This information was supported by evidence from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and a GoFundMe page.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that during the traffic stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself, and an agent informed him of his detention, instructing him to exit the vehicle. Despite multiple requests, Hernandez refused to turn off the engine and did not comply with the agents’ commands.
Hernandez allegedly drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle, then “quickly shifted the vehicle in reverse and abruptly accelerated in a rapid backward motion, violently colliding with a law enforcement vehicle in the process,” according to federal prosecutors.
After the collision, Hernandez allegedly floored his vehicle toward two agents. One of them, who was in the direct path of the vehicle, jumped out of the way. Hernandez then drove over the center divider into oncoming traffic, federal prosecutors said.
As Hernandez’s vehicle accelerated forward, it was seen veering left across Sperry Avenue and over the center stone median into traffic heading in the opposite direction, prosecutors say.
“During this incident, and in response to the vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms at the vehicle and hit Mendoza Hernandez several times. Agents rendered medical aid at the scene and Mendoza Hernandez was transported to the hospital,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Law enforcement suspected Hernandez of belonging to the 18th Street Gang. He was also wanted in connection to a murder investigation, Fox News Digital previously reported.
After rapid reverse acceleration, Hernandez’s vehicle struck the front bumper area of the agent, prosecutors say. (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California)
Hernandez’s family disputes the gang ties allegations and asserts he was cleared of connection to the alleged murder, Fox News Digital previously reported.
If convicted of the assault charges, Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. If convicted of the destruction charge, Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.
Fox News Digital contacted Hernandez’s attorney for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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