SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A dual citizen of El Salvador and Mexico who sustained multiple gunshot wounds during an immigration enforcement operation entered a not guilty plea Monday to federal assault charges, according to prosecutors.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez faces a federal grand jury indictment handed down Friday charging him with two counts of using a deadly weapon to assault a federal officer and one count of destroying government property.
Defense attorney Patrick Kolasinski maintains that Mendoza became frightened and attempted to escape when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surrounded his vehicle, stating his client had no intention of harming anyone. Kolasinski also challenges official assertions that Mendoza was a suspected gang member sought by El Salvador authorities for murder-related questioning.
According to his attorney, court records from El Salvador show Mendoza was cleared of murder charges there, and he has consistently denied any gang affiliation. Kolasinski stated that Mendoza arrived in the United States in 2019 with a clean criminal background.
Federal prosecutors announced Monday that Mendoza has opted for a jury trial, with a status hearing scheduled for July 27.
The defendant continues his recovery following multiple surgical procedures to treat various gunshot injuries, including damage to his jaw, according to his legal counsel.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains that ICE personnel discharged their weapons in self-defense after Mendoza attempted to strike them with his vehicle. According to DHS, officers were executing a targeted enforcement action against the 36-year-old on April 7 in Patterson, located approximately 75 miles southeast of San Francisco.
This incident represents one of several officer-involved shootings during heightened immigration enforcement efforts focused on detaining and removing undocumented individuals. The case joins others where federal officials face scrutiny over circumstances, particularly instances where video footage has contradicted initial official statements.
