Lawyer for Salvadoran Man Shot by ICE in California Says Client Beat El Salvador Murder Charge and Disputes Gang, Vehicle‑Attack Claims
The lawyer for the Salvadoran man shot by ICE agents in California says his client did not try to run officers over and disputes DHS claims that he is a gang member or subject to an active murder warrant. The attorney says his client previously beat a murder charge in El Salvador, has no U.S. criminal record he can find, and believes Salvadoran authorities no longer have grounds to treat him as a wanted murderer, framing the dispute amid broader concerns about ICE use of force.
📌 Key Facts
- A Salvadoran man identified as Mendoza was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in California.
- Mendoza’s lawyer says he previously beat a murder charge in El Salvador, a fact the attorney argues undermines DHS claims that an active Salvadoran murder warrant justifies treating him as a fugitive.
- The lawyer reports he has found no U.S. criminal record for Mendoza.
- Based on the attorney’s review, he believes Salvadoran authorities no longer have grounds to treat Mendoza as a wanted murderer.
- The lawyer explicitly disputes Department of Homeland Security assertions that Mendoza has gang ties and that he attacked an ICE vehicle, calling those claims unfounded.
- The disagreement over Mendoza’s criminal status and the DHS allegations has been raised in the broader context of concerns about ICE use-of-force incidents.
📊 Relevant Data
The US provided over $4 billion in aid, mostly military, to the Salvadoran government during its civil war from 1980 to 1992, which displaced over a million people and led to significant migration to the US.
America's Role in El Salvador's Deterioration — Case Western Reserve University School of Law
MS-13 originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s among Salvadoran refugees fleeing the civil war, and US deportations of gang members in the 1990s exported the gang to El Salvador, contributing to increased violence and homicide rates there.
Spreading Gangs: Exporting US Criminal Capital to El Salvador — ESOC Princeton
As of 2021, approximately 2.5 million people of Salvadoran origin resided in the US, representing about 4% of the total Hispanic population, with many having migrated due to ongoing violence and economic instability in El Salvador.
Salvadoran-origin population in the U.S., 2000-2021 — Pew Research Center
Since January 2025, there have been at least 19 shooting incidents involving ICE or CBP officers, resulting in wounds to at least 19 people and some deaths, amid aggressive immigration enforcement.
A running list of ICE deaths and shootings during Trump's ... — The Week
In March 2026, the Department of Justice admitted that ICE provided false information to justify arresting and detaining thousands of people at immigration courts, based on an erroneous legal memo.
DOJ admits ICE courthouse arrests relied on erroneous ... — NPR
US deportation policies have led to increased gang activity and homicide rates in El Salvador, with deported individuals spreading gang networks along migration corridors.
Deportations and the transnational roots of gang violence ... — ScienceDirect
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The New York Times piece emphasizes that Mendoza’s lawyer says he previously beat a murder charge in El Salvador, which the attorney argues undermines DHS claims of an active murder warrant there.
- It further details the lawyer’s efforts to verify Mendoza’s record, including his statement that he has found no U.S. criminal record and believes Salvadoran authorities no longer have grounds to treat him as a wanted murderer.
- The article elaborates on the context of the alleged gang accusations from DHS and the lawyer’s explicit contention that these claims are unfounded, linking the dispute to wider concerns about ICE use‑of‑force incidents.