ICE agents in tactical gear during enforcement operationVideo Contradicts ICE Claims in California Shooting of Gang Member
Left says
- •The surveillance footage shows the man threw his shovel into the snow and retreated before any confrontation, contradicting ICE's initial claims of assault with weapons
- •Federal prosecutors filed charges without reviewing available video evidence, demonstrating systemic failures in the justice system's handling of immigration cases
- •Two Venezuelan immigrants who had legal temporary protected status were jailed for weeks while their girlfriends were sent to detention camps based on false testimony
- •ICE agents provided sworn testimony that officials later admitted was 'untruthful,' raising serious questions about accountability in federal immigration enforcement
Right says
- •Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was an 18th Street Gang member wanted for questioning in connection to a murder in El Salvador
- •Dashcam video shows Hernandez put his car in reverse and drove forward while surrounded by agents, weaponizing his vehicle against federal officers
- •ICE agents followed proper training protocols by firing defensive shots to protect themselves and the public from a deadly threat
- •The 18th Street Gang is officially designated as a terrorist organization and represents one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises in the Western Hemisphere
Common Take
High Consensus- Video evidence exists that provides crucial information about what actually occurred during the ICE operation
- Federal agents discharged their weapons during the incident, resulting in injury to the suspect
- The FBI is investigating the shooting as part of standard protocol for officer-involved incidents
- Accurate documentation and truthful testimony are essential for proper law enforcement accountability
The Arguments
Left argues
Surveillance footage clearly shows the man threw his shovel into the snow and retreated before any confrontation, directly contradicting ICE's sworn testimony that he assaulted agents with weapons. Federal prosecutors filed charges without even reviewing available video evidence, demonstrating a systemic failure to verify facts before pursuing criminal cases.
Right counters
The dashcam video shows Hernandez put his car in reverse and drove forward while surrounded by agents, weaponizing a 2,000-pound vehicle against federal officers. ICE agents followed proper defensive protocols when faced with a deadly threat from a known 18th Street Gang member wanted for murder.
Right argues
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was a documented member of the 18th Street Gang, officially designated as a terrorist organization, and was wanted for questioning in connection to a murder in El Salvador. When confronted by ICE agents, he deliberately used his vehicle as a weapon, creating an imminent deadly threat that justified defensive action.
Left counters
Two Venezuelan immigrants with legal temporary protected status were jailed for weeks and their girlfriends sent to detention camps based on ICE agents' false sworn testimony that officials later admitted was 'untruthful.' This pattern of dishonest testimony raises serious questions about the credibility of ICE's claims in this case.
Left argues
ICE agents provided sworn testimony that federal officials later admitted was 'untruthful,' and two agents were placed on administrative leave facing potential perjury charges. This demonstrates a pattern of false testimony in immigration enforcement that undermines the integrity of the entire system.
Right counters
The 18th Street Gang represents one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises in the Western Hemisphere, and removing these threats from American communities is a critical public safety priority. ICE agents must make split-second decisions when confronted with violent gang members who pose immediate threats to officer and public safety.
Right argues
Video evidence shows the suspect driving his vehicle in reverse and then forward while surrounded by agents, demonstrating clear intent to use the car as a weapon. Federal officers have the right and duty to defend themselves when faced with deadly force from dangerous criminals.
Left counters
The surveillance footage contradicts the initial narrative of weapon assault, showing the man discarding his shovel and retreating rather than attacking. The fact that prosecutors didn't review available video before filing charges reveals a rush to judgment that violated due process rights.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If video evidence is so crucial for establishing truth, why do you focus primarily on the surveillance footage showing the shovel incident while giving less attention to the dashcam video that appears to show the suspect using his vehicle against officers?”
Left asks Right
“If ICE agents' credibility is so compromised by false testimony in previous cases, how do you reconcile this with accepting their account of the vehicle incident when dashcam footage appears to support their version of events?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Progressive activists like those from Abolish ICE movements and some Squad members like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who categorically oppose ICE operations regardless of circumstances represent about 15-20% of the left coalition.
Right Fringe
Hardline immigration restrictionists like Stephen Miller or some America First commentators who celebrate any shooting of undocumented immigrants without regard for circumstances represent about 10-15% of the right coalition.
Noise Assessment
Moderate noise level - while both sides have vocal advocates, this story involves clear law enforcement protocols and gang activity that most Americans can evaluate based on existing attitudes toward police use of force rather than pure immigration politics.
Sources (8)
Federal authorities said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers shot and injured an immigrant in Northern California on Tuesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot a man in California on Tuesday, after he allegedly "weaponized his vehicle" and tried to run over an officer, according to the acting director of ICE.
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Tuesday shot a gang member who tried to run them down with his car as they moved to arrest him, officials said.
<p>Newly released video contradicts federal claims that two Venezuelan immigrants assaulted an <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/immigration" target="_blank">ICE</a> agent with a snow shovel before an agent shot one of them during <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/27/ice-metro-surge-random-stop-survey" target="_blank">Operation Metro Surge</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The footage raises questions about why it took federal officials weeks to back off from their original story about — and drop criminal charges against — the wounded Julio Sosa-Celis and his roommate, Alfredo Aljorna.</p><hr /><ul><li>The New York Times, which was first to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/us/minnesota-ice-shooting-video.html" target="_blank">publish</a> the video, reported that authorities had access to the footage "within hours of the shooting."</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Minneapolis was on edge when the agents shot Sosa-Celis on Jan. 14, just one week after <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/07/ice-agent-shooting-south-minneapolis" target="_blank">Renee Good's killing</a>.</p><p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> The incident began after ICE agents attempted to pull over Aljorna, leading to a nearly 20-minute car chase.</p><ul><li>The pursuit ended when Aljorna veered into a snowbank near his North Side home and took off running. An agent chased him on foot.</li></ul><img src="https://images.axios.com/gEoW58eIy9xj0y7RIeCP-DpNhTE=/2026/04/06/1775499109813.jpeg" /> <div>City surveillance cameras showed Julio Sosa-Celis flinging a shovel into the snow before a scuffle outside his home between Sosa-Celis; his roommate, Alfredo Aljorna; and an ICE agent. Images: City of Minneapolis</div><p><strong>The city released </strong>surveillance footage Monday<strong> </strong>from North 24th and Lyndale avenues, showing what happened next:</p><ul><li>Sosa-Celis was waiting outside with a shovel, but flung it into the snow and retreated as Aljorna and the agent ran toward the home.</li><li>Aljorna slipped, landing just short of the porch. A 12-second scuffle on the sidewalk ensued between the three men.</li><li>The grainy footage shows Sosa-Celis in the doorway with the silhouette of an object that could be a broom.</li></ul><p><strong>The scuffle ended when </strong>Aljorna wriggled out of his jacket and he and Sosa-Celis ran inside.</p><ul><li>After the men disappear from view, the video — which has no audio and is partially obscured by a tree — shows the agent rise into a firing stance. Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg.</li></ul><p><strong>In the aftermath,</strong> federal investigators <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230474/gov.uscourts.mnd.230474.1.1_1.pdf" target="_blank">claimed</a> Sosa-Celis beat the agent with a broom and snow shovel.</p><ul><li><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230474/gov.uscourts.mnd.230474.34.0.pdf" target="_blank">In a court filing</a>, defense attorney Robin Wolpert wrote that Sosa-Celis threw a broom in the agent's direction, but denied he'd beaten the agent with a broom or a shovel.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check:</strong> Minneapolis police shared this video with state investigators who relayed it to their federal counterparts — but prosecutors didn't watch it before filing charges, the Times reported.</p><ul><li>A month later, prosecutors <a href="https://sahanjournal.com/news-partners/ap-us-immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-shooting/" target="_blank">dropped charges</a> against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna after Department of Homeland Security officials admitted that video evidence showed two ICE agents' sworn testimony about the incident was "untruthful."</li><li>The agents were placed on administrative leave and could face criminal perjury charges.</li><li>The agents "hung themselves," Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara recently told the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/reckoning-retribution-and-resistance-the-behind-the-scenes-story-of-operation-metro-surge/601583420" target="_blank">Star Tribune</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> Aljorna and Sosa-Celis had been granted temporary protected status in 2024, which shielded them from deportation until President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump </a>revoked that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/03/trump-venezuela-deportations-supreme-court-ruling" target="_blank">status for Venezuelans</a> last year.</p><ul><li>After their arrests, Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were jailed for weeks, and their girlfriends were sent to an immigration detention camp in El Paso.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> "It is a grave injustice," Wolpert <a href="https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/north-minneapolis-ice-shooting-julio-sosa-celis-state-investigation/" target="_blank">told Sahan Journal</a>. The dismissal of charges against the Venezuelan men may be "a 180-degree turn, but a lot of suffering happened in between."</p><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/04/02/bad-minnesota-jobs-report-ice-surge" target="_blank">Minnesota leader blames bad jobs report on ICE surge</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/02/13/ice-surge-minnesotas-largest-jails-immigration-changes" target="_blank">ICE surge changed little between feds and Minnesota's largest jails</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/13/mutual-aid-evictions-rental-assistance" target="_blank">Donor cash that paid immigrants' rent during ICE surge is now slowing</a></li></ul>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/man-shot-by-ice-during-operation-in-california-feds-say-he-s-a-gang-member-who-tried-to-run-over-officers.jpg?id=65488482&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C91%2C0%2C92" /><br /><br /><p>A man being sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to run over officers and was shot in Northern California on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2041606332483301662" target="_blank">according</a> to ICE.</p><p>Officers were performing a targeted vehicle stop on Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez in Patterson when he allegedly "weaponized" his vehicle and tried to run over officers.</p><p class="pull-quote">KCRA-TV obtained dashcam video of the incident showing that the man put his car in reverse and then drove forward while surrounded by agents. </p><p>"Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public," reads a statement from ICE Director Todd M. Lyons on social media.</p><p>"The illegal alien was taken to a local hospital," he added. "The FBI is on the scene."</p><p>Lyons added that Hernandez was a member of the heinous 18th Street Gang from El Salvador and was wanted for questioning in relation to a murder.</p><p>No officers were injured in the shooting, and no law enforcement officers were involved in the shooting, according to the sheriff's office.</p><p>KCRA-TV <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/patterson-ice-shooting-interstate-5-agents/70954526" target="_blank">obtained</a> dashcam video of the incident showing that the man put his car in reverse and then drove forward while surrounded by agents. At least one agent can be seen shooting into the car.</p><p>The driver, assumed to be Hernandez, continues to drive the vehicle over the median in the direction of oncoming traffic before it comes to a stop.</p><p>News helicopter footage from KCRA showed a lot of damage done to the car involved, including several gunshots in the windshield. </p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/a-major-win-for-student-who-posted-pro-ice-posters-at-california-high-school-report" target="_blank"><strong>A major win for student who posted pro-ICE posters at California high school: Report</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p><p>On-ramps and off-ramps on the I-5 freeway <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/ice-shoots-person-near-californias-i-5-highway" target="_blank">were</a> shut down for the investigation for hours afterward. </p><p>Patterson is a town of about 24K residents in Stanislaus County about 90 miles southeast of San Francisco. It is known as the "apricot capital of the world." </p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em>
A suspected gang member in the country illegally was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in California after he attempted to use his vehicle to run over the federal officers on Tuesday, according to ICE Director Todd Lyons. ICE officers stopped a vehicle near Interstate 5 in Patterson, California, to arrest Carlos Ivan ...
A federal official said the agents were pursuing a wanted gang member who tried to run one of them over. Dash cam video complicates the account.