The Trump administration's promised mass deportation operations turned deadly in Northern California Tuesday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were forced to shoot a Salvadoran gang member who weaponized his vehicle against federal officers during an arrest attempt.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was conducting what ICE described as a "targeted vehicle stop" in Patterson when the suspect put his car in reverse and then drove forward while completely surrounded by agents, according to dashcam footage obtained by KCRA-TV.
"Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots when the suspect used his vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement," ICE officials stated. The suspect survived the shooting and was taken for medical treatment before being processed for deportation proceedings.
"NEW FOOTAGE: An illegal alien from El Salvador just tried to run over an ICE agent with his vehicle while attempting to escape arrest in California. The agent fired defensive shots in response. Watch the chaos unfold as the suspect weaponizes his car against law enforcement," posted @officer_Lew on social media.
The incident perfectly illustrates the dangerous reality facing ICE agents as they carry out President Trump's signature deportation mandate. These aren't "peaceful migrants seeking a better life" – these are violent criminals who will stop at nothing to avoid consequences for breaking our laws.
Social media users were quick to point out the escalating nature of these encounters. @TruckenUSMC noted: "California ICE operation turns violent: feds say a suspected gang member tried to run over officers during an arrest attempt and was shot. The case underscores how quickly these encounters can escalate."
This is exactly why Trump won a decisive mandate to secure our borders and remove criminal aliens. While California's sanctuary policies have emboldened dangerous gang members like Hernandez, ICE agents are risking their lives daily to protect American communities from foreign criminals who have already proven they have zero respect for our laws.
How many more ICE agents will be put in harm's way before blue state governors stop harboring violent criminals?