Carlos Mencia Addresses Tax Charges for the First Time

After spending the last week making headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with comedy, Carlos Mencia is finally speaking out.

The comedian, who is a frequent guest on the Buzz Adams Morning Show and last visited El Paso in January, joined Buzz by phone for his first interview since being charged in a California tax case.

While Mencia couldn't discuss every detail of the ongoing case, he didn't avoid the topic either. Instead, he addressed the headlines with the same humor fans have come to expect before shifting the conversation back to comedy and what’s next.

Why Was Carlos Mencia Arrested?

Mencia pleaded not guilty after being charged with multiple felony tax counts in California. Prosecutors allege he failed to file personal and corporate state income tax returns between 2019 and 2024, resulting in more than $300,000 in unpaid state taxes.

Authorities also allege Mencia failed to report millions of dollars in income during that time. The case remains ongoing, and because of that, there were limits to what he could discuss during the interview.

Carlos Mencia Addresses the Headlines

After days of headlines, Mencia finally addressed his tax charges during a candid interview that mixed humor with honesty.

Mencia joked about the unusual circumstances surrounding his arrest, telling Buzz that when law enforcement first arrived, he initially thought he was the victim of a swatting incident. It wasn't until officers identified themselves and explained why they were there that he realized what was happening.

Although he kept many of the legal details off limits, Mencia reflected on the events leading up to the arrest, laughed through some of the more surreal moments and made it clear he's hoping to get the matter resolved as quickly as possible.

As the conversation continued, it quickly returned to the topics listeners know him for best: comedy, life on the road and making people laugh.

You can watch Carlos Mencia's full interview with Buzz Adams below, where he shares his first public comments since the charges were announced and discusses much more than just the case.