Border patrol agents shot 2 gang members Thursday afternoon in Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Border Patrol agent opened fire during a traffic stop, wounding both occupants of a vehicle.
Federal officials claim the shooting was an act of self-defense after the driver allegedly tried to run down agents.
The man and woman who were shot remain hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Authorities identified them as Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, two Venezuelan nationals who federal officials say entered the United States illegally and are associated with the violent Tren de Aragua gang.
The shooting came just one day after a fatal incident in Minneapolis in which an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman during a law-enforcement operation.
That death has already sparked protests across multiple cities, and the Portland shooting has only deepened public anger and anxiety over what many critics describe as increasingly militarized and dangerous federal operations inside U.S. cities.
What happened during the Portland shooting
According to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Border Patrol agents initiated what she described as a “targeted vehicle stop” shortly after 2:19 p.m. local time.
The two people inside the vehicle were believed to be Venezuelan migrants connected to Tren de Aragua, a notorious criminal organization that originated in Venezuela and has been the focus of repeated warnings and enforcement actions by the Trump administration.
McLaughlin said that when the agents identified themselves, the driver attempted to flee and used the vehicle as a weapon, trying to run over federal officers.
One Border Patrol agent, fearing for his life, fired a single shot into the vehicle. Despite being hit, the driver continued driving away with the passenger still inside.
Portland police said they were called to Southeast Main Street around 2:15 p.m. after receiving reports of gunfire. Minutes later, another call came in from Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street, where a man reported he had been shot and needed help. Officers arrived to find both a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle.
The man was later found to have been shot in the arm, while the woman suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, DHS said. Both were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive. No federal agents were injured during the encounter.
The FBI has taken control of the investigation and described the shooting as an “assault on federal officers,” signaling that the agency views the incident as a criminal act by the vehicle’s occupants. Once the two wounded individuals are released from the hospital, DHS says they will be transferred into federal custody.
Who were the people inside the car?
Federal officials moved quickly to publicly identify the two people involved. DHS said Nino-Moncada, the driver, entered the United States illegally in 2022, while Zambrano-Contreras entered in 2023. The agency claimed both were released into the country under policies enacted during the Biden administration.
According to DHS, Nino-Moncada is a suspected member of Tren de Aragua, while Zambrano-Contreras is allegedly associated with the gang and was involved in a prostitution ring run by the organization. DHS also claimed she was linked to a prior shooting in Portland, though local authorities said she is not currently a suspect in that case.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that both individuals appear to have ties to criminal cases in Washington County, Oregon. He also said they were associated with Tren de Aragua, based on information from a shooting that occurred in Portland last July.
In that case, a Venezuelan immigrant victim told police that the suspects were gang-affiliated, though neither Nino-Moncada nor Zambrano-Contreras are officially charged in that earlier incident.
Federal officials initially told reporters that the two were married, but DHS later corrected that statement, saying they are not married.
Growing political backlash
The Portland shooting has drawn sharp criticism from city and state leaders, who say federal immigration enforcement has become too aggressive and dangerous.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called on ICE and federal immigration agencies to halt operations in the city altogether. He said residents can no longer rely on federal agencies’ internal investigations to determine what truly happened.
“Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents,” Wilson said. “When the administration talks about using full force, this is what it looks like on our streets.”
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek echoed those concerns, saying the public deserves transparency and accountability. “Oregonians deserve clear answers,” she said, calling for a full and independent investigation.
State Sen. Kayse Jama was even more blunt, telling ICE to “get the hell out of our community,” a statement that mirrors the fury expressed by Minneapolis officials after the fatal shooting there.
Protests erupt again
Even before Thursday’s shooting, Multnomah County had extended an emergency declaration related to federal immigration enforcement in the area. County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said the move was necessary because of the ongoing strain federal operations have placed on local communities.
By Thursday night, protesters gathered outside a local ICE facility in Portland. Police said six people were arrested, and two officers suffered minor injuries. Chief Day said the protests had become more intense but urged demonstrators to remain peaceful.
As investigations move forward, the Portland shooting has become another flashpoint in a rapidly escalating national debate over immigration enforcement, federal authority, and the use of force — a debate that shows no sign of cooling anytime soon.
