Illegal Alien from El Salvador Charged with Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly Weapon

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - United States Attorney Eric Grant announced that a federal criminal complaint was unsealed today 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, California, to locate and arrest Mendoza Hernandez because he is illegally present in the United States. Officers stopped Mendoza Hernandez near an onramp to Interstate 5 by activating their emergency lights. Mendoza Hernandez pulled over on the right shoulder.

During the stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself and an agent informed Mendoza Hernandez that he was being detained and instructed him to step out of the vehicle. Despite repeated requests, Mendoza Hernandez kept his car running and did not comply with agent requests. Mendoza Hernandez eventually drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle. Mendoza Hernandez then quickly shifted the vehicle in reverse and abruptly accelerated in a rapid backward motion. While in reverse, Mendoza Hernandez violently collided with the front of a law enforcement vehicle parked behind Mendoza Hernandez.

After striking the front of the agents' vehicle, Mendoza Hernandez's vehicle then directly faced two of the agents assisting in the stop. 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 jumped the center median and drove the wrong way against traffic toward the freeway. He then crossed the median, stopping his car on the side of the road.

During this incident, and 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 Mendoza Hernandez was transported to the hospital. After receiving medical treatment, Mendoza Hernandez was medically cleared and taken into FBI custody on Monday, April 13, 2026.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department helped secure the scene and provided substantial public safety assistance while Mendoza Hernandez recovered in the hospital. The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office provided substantial support following the incident. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.

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, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge in the Criminal Complaint is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.