ICE Agents Shoot Gang Suspect During Targeted Vehicle Stop Near Patterson

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, an alleged member of the 18th Street Gang wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder, was shot Tuesday morning by federal immigration agents after he drove his vehicle toward an officer during a targeted arrest attempt near Patterson, California.

The shooting unfolded at the interchange of Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue, just outside Patterson, a city of roughly 25,000 people situated midway between San Jose and Modesto in Stanislaus County. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had moved in on Hernandez's vehicle as part of what the agency called a targeted vehicle stop when the confrontation turned violent.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Hernandez "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over," at which point agents responded with force. Lyons stated that agents fired "defensive shots to protect themselves, fellow agents and the public."

Hernandez was transported to a local hospital following the shooting. His condition has not been publicly disclosed.

The 18th Street Gang, also known as Barrio 18, holds a Foreign Terrorist Organization designation from the U.S. government. Hernandez is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in a murder investigation.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office confirmed that no local law enforcement officers were involved in the shooting and that the agency is assisting ICE with the investigation. The FBI was also present at the scene.

The incident shut down the on- and off-ramps connecting I-5 and Sperry Avenue for the remainder of the day, snarling traffic near the Love's truck stop at that interchange and prompting officials to urge motorists toward alternative routes.

The Patterson shooting follows a November 2025 arrest in Maryland, where ICE agents took into custody Antonio Israel Lazo-Quintanilla, identified as one of El Salvador's most wanted 18th Street Gang members, during a traffic stop. The investigation into Tuesday's incident remains ongoing.