Migrant Shot in ICE Operation Arrested by FBI After Leaving Hospital
Posted on 04/15/26 at 20:27
- Migrant shot in ICE operation
- FBI carries out immediate arrest
- Conflicting accounts emerge
Salvadoran national Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, 36, was arrested by FBI agents after being discharged from the hospital on Monday, according to EFE.
The man had been shot by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the previous week in California.
His attorney confirmed that he was detained shortly after receiving medical clearance, without prior notice to his family.
Migrant shot in ICE operation faces immediate FBI arrest
A Salvadoran man, Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, was wounded by gunfire during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in California, as authorities and his defense present conflicting accounts of what happened, in a case now under FBI investigation. pic.twitter.com/MDMwj70sp4
— El Pergamino (@ElPergaminosv) April 8, 2026
The case has generated uncertainty due to opposing versions from authorities and the legal defense.
Mendoza Hernández was injured on April 7 during an operation near Interstate 5 in Patterson.
The city is located about 144 kilometers south of Sacramento, California’s capital.
According to acting ICE director Todd Lyons, agents fired in self-defense.
The official version states that the Salvadoran man attempted to run over one of the agents.
However, attorney Patrick Kolasinski offered a different account.
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He stated that Mendoza Hernández moved his vehicle only after being shot the first time.
This discrepancy in accounts has shaped the development of the ICE shooting case from the beginning.
Arrest after three surgeries
A federal criminal complaint charging Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, an #ElSalvador national residing in #StanislausCounty, with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon was unsealed today. Visit https://t.co/Uv95HJvCc9 for more information about this investigation. pic.twitter.com/gGz2zbsE2O
— FBI Sacramento (@FBISacramento) April 14, 2026
The attorney indicated that Mendoza Hernández underwent three surgeries due to multiple gunshot wounds.
After his initial recovery, he was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
That same day, he was transferred into FBI custody.
Kolasinski stated that the family was not notified about the transfer.
The immigrant is the father of a U.S. citizen child.
He was also described by his defense as a hardworking man with strong family ties.
Charges and context under scrutiny
Authorities have linked him to an alleged murder accusation in El Salvador.
They also claim possible gang affiliations.
These allegations have been denied by Mendoza Hernández and his attorney.
The case comes amid growing scrutiny of immigration enforcement operations.
Earlier this year, federal agents were involved in several shootings in Minnesota.
One incident resulted in the death of a U.S. citizen during an operation.
Federal authorities defended those actions as self-defense, though conflicting accounts also emerged.
This background has intensified public debate over the use of force in immigration operations.
The Mendoza Hernández case now adds to that discussion, becoming a central example of the ongoing ICE shooting and migrant FBI arrest controversy.
