FBI Arrests Man After ICE Shooting in California, Attorney Reveals
A man who was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an enforcement stop in central California has been arrested by the FBI after being discharged from a hospital, according to his attorney. The incident, which occurred last week, has sparked controversy over the circumstances of the shooting and the subsequent arrest.
Arrest Details and Legal Concerns
Attorney Patrick Kolasinski stated that his client, Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, was taken into FBI custody on Monday following his release from medical care. Mendoza had undergone three surgeries for multiple gunshot wounds sustained during the encounter. Kolasinski expressed shock at the arrest, noting that Mendoza was discharged without notification to his family or legal team. "He should not be out of that hospital. He was in no condition to be released," Kolasinski told The Associated Press.
Federal officials have not disclosed the specific charges Mendoza might face, and messages sent to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office seeking further information have gone unanswered. The lack of transparency has raised questions about the legal basis for the arrest and the timing of Mendoza's discharge from medical supervision.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has asserted that ICE agents fired defensive shots at Mendoza when he attempted to drive into them after being pulled over last Tuesday in Patterson, a city approximately 75 miles southeast of San Francisco. Authorities described Mendoza as a suspected gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder.
However, Kolasinski has contested this narrative, stating that Mendoza was having difficulty speaking due to a gunshot wound to the jaw and has insisted he was never a gang member. According to the attorney, Mendoza has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not subject to an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was previously acquitted of murder. A court document from El Salvador dated October 25, 2019, confirms Mendoza's acquittal and immediate release, with no mention of gang affiliation or activity.
Video Evidence and Broader Context
Dashcam footage obtained by KCRA-TV shows three officers around a stopped vehicle, with at least two agents pointing weapons at the car as it backs up, hits another vehicle, and then drives forward over a median. The video lacks sound, making it unclear when shots were fired or what was said during the encounter.
This incident is part of a series of shootings during the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement efforts, which have faced scrutiny from federal immigration officials. Kolasinski has argued that agents fired on Mendoza while the car was stopped, and he drove away to flee the gunfire, contradicting the official account of defensive action.
Personal Background and Aftermath
Mendoza, a dual citizen of El Salvador and Mexico, came to the U.S. in 2019, though his legal status and method of arrival remain unclear. He works as a laborer repairing fire damage, has a 2-year-old daughter, and is engaged to a U.S. citizen. His fiancée visited him in the hospital over the weekend, where he was still in significant pain, according to Kolasinski.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not responded to inquiries about Kolasinski's statements, leaving many questions unanswered about the enforcement action and Mendoza's arrest. The case highlights ongoing tensions in immigration policy and law enforcement practices in California and beyond.
