ICE agents shot a Salvadoran illegal immigrant who tried to run them over in California

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot an illegal immigrant from El Salvador in Patterson, California. The man was identified as Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a suspected member of the criminal gang known as Calle 18. According to CBS News, Hernandez is wanted in his home country for questioning on murder charges.

According to Todd Lyons, director of ICE, agents approached the Salvadoran's car to arrest him. At that point, the man "weaponized his vehicle in attempt to run an officer over." "Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public," he added.

At the same time, he detailed that none of the officers involved were injured. According to The Washington Post, Hernandez was taken to a nearby hospital and is in "critical" condition.

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted to the incident with a statement, "As is established practice, we expect our federal law enforcement partners to appropriately collaborate with state and local law enforcement as this matter is investigated."

As reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in early February, there have been more than 180 vehicle attacks against ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

"From January 21, 2025 – January 24, 2026, CBP law enforcement officers experienced 114 vehicular attacks against them, compared to only 51 during the same time period the previous year. This is a 124% increase against CBP law enforcement," DHS said in a statement.

The 18th Street gang is an organization with a presence in the United States and other countries in the region, especially Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the main activities of the group are as follows: "acts of murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, witness intimidation, and firearms and narcotics trafficking."

At the same time, the agency added that it "resorts to violence to maintain control over certain geographic areas."

The shooting comes just months after the two shootings in Minneapolis that sparked weeks of protests against DHS. Although initially only Greg Bovino was relegated, Donald Trump announced in mid-March that he would replace Secretary Kristi Noem for Markwayne Mullin.