• Federal criminal complaint unsealed charging 36-year-old Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
• Incident occurred April 7, 2026, during an operation in Patterson, California, to arrest him for being illegally present in the United States.
• Mendoza Hernandez allegedly struck an agent with his vehicle, rammed a law enforcement vehicle in reverse, then accelerated toward two agents, forcing one to jump out of the way.
• Agents discharged firearms, striking Mendoza Hernandez multiple times; he received medical aid and was later taken into FBI custody.
• If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Patterson, California — A federal criminal complaint was unsealed charging Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, a national of El Salvador residing in Stanislaus County, with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
According to court documents, on April 7, 2026, at approximately 6:50 a.m., four federal law enforcement officers conducted an operation in the city of Patterson to locate and arrest Mendoza Hernandez because he is illegally present in the United States. Officers stopped him near an onramp to Interstate 5 by activating their emergency lights, and he pulled over on the right shoulder.
During the stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself. An agent informed him that he was being detained and instructed him to step out of the vehicle. Despite repeated requests, he kept his car running and did not comply. He eventually drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle. He then quickly shifted into reverse and abruptly accelerated backward, violently colliding with the front of a law enforcement vehicle parked behind him.
After striking the agents’ vehicle, Mendoza Hernandez’s car faced two of the agents assisting in the stop. After a brief pause, he accelerated forward toward them. One agent, in the direct path of the vehicle, jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. Mendoza Hernandez jumped the center median and drove the wrong way against traffic toward the freeway, then crossed the median and stopped his car on the side of the road.
During the incident, in response to the vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms at the vehicle. Mendoza Hernandez was hit several times. Agents rendered medical aid at the scene, and he was transported to the hospital. After receiving medical treatment, he was medically cleared and taken into FBI custody on Monday, April 13, 2026.
United States Attorney Eric Grant announced the unsealing of the complaint. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
The defendant’s custody status will be determined during his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge. If convicted, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case highlights the risks faced by federal officers during enforcement operations involving individuals illegally present in the country.