Border Patrol Agent Shoots Two Suspected Tren de Aragua Members During Portland Stop
Border Patrol shot two suspected Tren de Aragua members in Portland after officials say they tried to run over agents with a vehicle; FBI investigating.
Overview
Border Patrol shot driver Luis David Nico Moncada and passenger Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras; DHS says both are Venezuelan, in U.S. illegally and suspected Tren de Aragua members.
DHS says agents stopped their vehicle about 2:19 p.m. in Portland; agents allege the car was weaponized to run over them, prompting an agent to fire.
Both were shot, received first aid from Portland police, were hospitalized; FBI is investigating and treating the event as an assault on federal officers.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson condemned the shooting, called to pause ICE operations in the city pending investigation; Oregon officials urged transparency and accountability.
Incident followed the Minneapolis ICE-related killing of Renee Good; DHS asserted Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras were released into U.S. custody under Biden administration.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the incidents as warranting scrutiny of federal force and transparency, prioritizing local officials' skepticism and calls for independent investigation. Editorial choices include emphasizing DHS assertions while noting lack of provided evidence (e.g., alleged gang ties), foregrounding municipal critique, and linking Portland to Minneapolis to imply a broader pattern.
Sources (29)
FAQ
Tren de Aragua is a Venezuela-based transnational organized crime syndicate involved in crimes such as human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, illegal mining, and drug trafficking across the Americas, which is why alleged membership raises serious public safety and national security concerns.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization under Executive Order 13581, citing its expansion throughout the Western Hemisphere and its involvement in human smuggling, trafficking, and other serious crimes.[3]
Tren de Aragua is known for a broad portfolio of crimes including human trafficking and smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, kidnapping, and other violent offenses across several Latin American countries.
Yes, Tren de Aragua has expanded from its origins in Venezuela into multiple countries in the Western Hemisphere, with reported operations in parts of South America and indications of activity reaching as far as the United States.[1]
U.S. authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on Tren de Aragua, combining sanctions, criminal prosecutions, and coordinated federal law enforcement actions to disrupt the group’s operations and finances.
History
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