Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, Assault on a Federal Officer, California 2026

Grimy Times has learned that Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, a national of El Salvador residing in Stanislaus County, has been indicted on three counts of assault.

The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury on April 7, 2026, charges Mendoza Hernandez with two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property.

According to court documents, Mendoza Hernandez was stopped by four federal immigration officers in the city of Patterson on April 7, 2026. The officers had been conducting an operation to locate and arrest Mendoza Hernandez due to his illegal presence in the United States.

During the stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself and an agent informed him that he was being detained. However, Mendoza Hernandez refused to comply with agent requests and instead drove his vehicle forward, hitting one of the agents with his car.

Mendoza Hernandez then shifted his vehicle in reverse and accelerated, violently colliding with the front of a law enforcement vehicle parked behind him. The vehicle then faced two of the agents assisting in the stop, and after a brief pause, Mendoza Hernandez accelerated forward toward the agents.

One of the agents was in the direct path of Mendoza Hernandez’s vehicle and jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. Mendoza Hernandez then jumped the center median and drove the wrong way against traffic toward the freeway. He was eventually stopped by agents, who discharged their firearms at the vehicle and hit Mendoza Hernandez several times.

Mendoza Hernandez was transported to the hospital and received medical treatment. He was later medically cleared and taken into FBI custody on April 13, 2026. On April 20, 2026, the District Court ordered Mendoza Hernandez to remain detained pending trial in this matter.

According to the indictment, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the assault charges. If convicted of the destruction charge, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The charges against Mendoza Hernandez are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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