Urgent Media Advisory: The Feds are trying to kill Carlos Mendoza

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DareToStruggleCT

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Apr 21, 2026, 2:43:24 PM (5 days ago) Apr 21
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Please see below - Local attention needed across the country for this urgent matter!

For Immediate Release

April 21st, 2026

Dare to Struggle Bay Area

Contact: Nat

URGENT MEDIA ADVISORY:

ICE agents tried to murder Carlos Mendoza on April 7th by shooting him seven times. He has been unjustly charged with assault, put in detention, and moved from place to place without proper medical care. After a judge ruled against his release on Apr 20th, his life remains at risk while those who tried to kill him walk free.


WHAT: We are requesting an interview with the local press on the attempted murder of Carlos Mendoza by ICE agents, the sham assault charge against him, and the risk to his life if he is not immediately released to receive proper medical care.

WHO: Members of Dare to Struggle Bay Area and the family of Carlos Mendoza

BACKGROUND: 

Early in the morning on April 7th, ICE attempted to murder Carlos Mendoza in Patterson, CA. Carlos was stopped without justification by agents. When they tried to detain him, Carlos asked to speak with his wife on the phone--that's when agents started shooting. Carlos then pulled backward and drove off, a move that saved his life. 

Carlos was struck several times and has had to undergo multiple surgeries. 

After being shot, Carlos stated that ICE agents stripped him naked, took photos of him, and left him handcuffed naked on the roadside without proper medical attention. He was then transferred into FBI custody before being moved to Doctor's Medical Center Modesto.

Since his attempted murder at the hands of ICE, Carlos has faced injustice after injustice at the hands of the FBI. While in FBI custody, Carlos was only allowed to speak to his family and his lawyer once in the hospital. The family was forced to go without consistent communication with Carlos, fearing he could be harmed or disappeared without their knowledge.

When people righteously protested Carlos' forced isolation, Modesto police arrested two protestors and slapped them with bogus felony charges. Their cases are still pending.

WHY: On April 13th, the FBI escalated their cruelty toward Carlos and his family by moving him from the ICU where he was recovering to a Stanislaus County jail without notifying his family or lawyer. The next day, April 14th, during his court hearing, DHS charged Carlos will assault on a federal officer. DHS claims Carlos weaponized his car against them in "an attempt to run over an officer," prompting them to shoot. This is the same lie DHS has regurgitated about other victims of ICE terror, including Renee Good, Marimar Martinez, and Silverio Villegas Gonzalez.

Carlos disputes the DHS claim. He told his lawyer that after being pulled over by ICE, agents tried to take him into custody without justification. When he asked to call his wife, agents started shooting. That's when Carlos tried to drive away from agents who intended on killing him.

Carlos was in court on the 14th in a wheelchair. Since his court appearance, Carlos has been moved at least five times to different facilities across the state of California. He is in no position to be transported from facility to facility and held in custody like this. After surviving seven gunshots and undergoing multiple surgeries he should be at home recovering with his family.

There has been no explanation as to why Carlos has been moved multiple times; over the last two weeks, his location has been unknown to his family, lawyers, and the public for days at a time. The federal government is practicing deliberate medical neglect by holding him hostage in such a precarious medical state. They do not want him to survive!

Carlos’ case has yet to garner consistent news coverage, grip people’s attention, and move people to action on a mass scale. This is despite the fact that just four months ago, when Renee Good was murdered, mass waves of people were spurred to action by her murder, flooding the streets in an attempt to stop ICE terror. DHS and the FBI are banking on the lack of public outcry to get away with attempted murder while Carlos' life hangs in the balance. They will succeed unless people across the country stand with Carlos and his family!

On Monday, April 20th, a judge ruled against his release from US Marshall custody. This is a threat to Carlos' life and health. The medical neglect at facilities like California City Detention Center could leave him permanently disabled or worse. Today, we heard that Carlos hasn't had his wounds dressed since Wednesday, and has only been offered two ibuprofen pills a day to manage what is surely unbearable pain. In court, the prosecution re-asserted lies about gang affiliations and brought up new slander about drug use. And while we contended with rumors that a protest ahead of court could "negatively impact Carlos" it was obvious that this judge, Dale Drozd had his mind made up long before arriving at the courthouse this morning.

The defense offered up every option to ensure Carlos' return to court--an ankle monitor, house arrest, the indignity of mandatory drug testing--and yet Judge Drozd decided this wasn't sufficient. Denying his release is blatant political repression of a man who has every reason to speak up against the pigs who tried to kill him, and a complete reversal from last week's judge who could see the obvious truth of the matter: Carlos is not a flight risk. Not only is he still in a wheelchair, but he has a loving family and 2 year old daughter whom he wants to return home to.

Only a coordinated mass movement in the streets, like the ones that freed Huey and saved Mumia's life, can win these demands. The fact that he is still behind bars and facing charges despite being the victim of attempted murder is an outrage deserving national exposure!

Alongside Carlos' family, Dare to Struggle is demanding:

  • All charges against Carlos are dropped, and Carlos is immediately released to his family
  • Release the names of all ICE agents involved in the shooting
  • Fire and charge the officers who shot Carlos with attempted murder
  • Full public release of all video evidence of the shooting

Our activists on the ground are standing with Carlos' family. We are calling on local press to give Carlos' case the attention it deserves!

#######

Dare to Struggle is a multinational organization open to anyone who wants to resist and stop injustice, no matter who holds political office. We don't lobby politicians. We don't use insular activist lingo. We don't chase social media fame. We don't seek careers or corporate sponsorship through activism. We're committed to standing with the people subjected to the horrors of the American nightmare. We go to the neighborhoods facing police brutality, ICE raids, poverty, and evictions, talk to people about the problems they face, and organize people in collective struggle. We know that radical change only happens when people step outside of routine protest or expect politicians to do it for us and take bold, collective action.

Coverage of Carlos' Case

CA  

National



2026-04-21 carlos mendoza.pdf
2026-04-21 carlos mendoza.odt
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