❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot an 18th Street Gang member in California after he attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
📍WHEN & WHERE: April 7, 2026, in Patterson, California, near an interstate overpass.
💬KEY QUOTE: “As officers approached the car, the wanted gang member weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.” – Todd Lyons, ICE
🎯IMPACT: The suspect was hospitalized, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a member of the 18th Street Gang, during a targeted vehicle stop in Patterson, California, on Tuesday. “As officers approached the car, the wanted gang member weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over. Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public,” said ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Hernandez allegedly attempted to hit the ICE agents with his vehicle before he was shot. After he was shot, he was taken to a local hospital. Hernandez is wanted for questioning in El Salvador in connection with a murder.
The 18th Street Gang is one of the largest street gangs in Los Angeles. The gang has somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 members across the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The gang is designated as a terrorist organization in the United States, El Salvador, and Guatemala. It is involved in various kinds of illegal activity, including murder, kidnapping, robbery, assault, drug trafficking, extortion, and prostitution. It is a multi-ethnic gang, although its membership draws heavily from Mexico and Central America.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office has said it will assist with the following investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also assist with the investigation.
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