SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge ruled Monday that Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez will not be released from custody, citing concerns that he may attempt to flee before trial. Mendoza sustained multiple gunshot wounds when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers opened fire during his arrest in April.
The 36-year-old man, who holds citizenship in both El Salvador and Mexico, faces federal charges for allegedly assaulting an officer. Authorities claim he struck an ICE agent’s vehicle with his car and then backed into another law enforcement vehicle during a traffic stop on April 7.
Defense attorney Patrick Kolasinski argues that his client acted out of panic when ICE agents surrounded his vehicle and had no intention of harming anyone. Kolasinski also challenges government assertions that Mendoza was a suspected gang member sought by Salvadoran authorities for murder-related questioning.
According to his legal team, court records from El Salvador show Mendoza was cleared of murder charges, and he has consistently denied any gang affiliation.
Mendoza has required multiple surgical procedures to treat his gunshot injuries.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains that ICE officers discharged their weapons in self-defense after Mendoza attempted to drive toward them. The incident occurred in Patterson, located approximately 75 miles southeast of San Francisco, during what DHS described as a targeted enforcement operation.
This shooting is part of a pattern of similar incidents that occurred during heightened immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration. Several of these cases have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the use of force, with some incidents involving video evidence that contradicted initial official statements.
Mendoza’s case is set to return to court in early May.
