• Husband shot in arm, wife shot in chest during Border Patrol stop
• DHS identifies couple as suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates
• Oregon Attorney General launches investigation into federal use of force

PORTLAND, OR (TDR) — The Department of Homeland Security identified Friday the married couple shot by a Border Patrol agent in Portland as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, claiming both are suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

The husband was shot in the arm and the wife in the chest during a vehicle stop Thursday afternoon in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood. Both remained hospitalized Friday morning and will be taken into FBI custody upon release, according to DHS.

The shooting occurred one day after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, triggering nationwide protests and heightening tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations.

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Federal Claims Disputed by Local Officials

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop at 2:19 p.m. when the driver “weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents.”

“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”

DHS claimed Nico Moncada illegally entered the United States in 2022 and is believed to be a Tren de Aragua member. Zambrano-Contreras allegedly played a role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and entered the country in 2023, according to the federal statement.

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However, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson expressed skepticism about the federal narrative, drawing parallels to disputed claims in the Minneapolis killing.

“We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed.”

Wilson called for ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full investigation can be completed, describing Renee Good’s death in Minneapolis as “entirely preventable.”

Shooting Details and Investigation

Portland police responded to Southeast Main Street near Adventist Health Portland at 2:18 p.m. Thursday after receiving shooting reports. Officers confirmed federal agents were involved.

Six minutes later, police received a separate call near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside — approximately three miles away — where a man requested help. Arriving officers found the couple with gunshot wounds.

Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel. Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the wounded man drove more than 2.5 miles from where he was shot before calling for help.

A witness who lives at the Bria Apartments where police found the couple told reporters the man was shot in his upper body and was sitting up. The couple appeared conscious with “their eyes were open,” the witness said.

State Launches Independent Investigation

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Thursday night the state will open an investigation into the shooting.

“We have been clear about our concerns with excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland and nationally. We have also been clear about our intent to investigate circumstances involving federal agents to ensure they are accountable to acting within the scope of their official duties.”

Rayfield said the investigation will examine whether any federal officer acted outside lawful authority and will include witness interviews, video evidence and other relevant materials.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek supported Wilson’s call for transparency and demanded federal cooperation with Portland police and the Multnomah County District Attorney.

“The priority right now is a full, completed investigation, not more detentions. My message to the federal government is this, we demand transparency. We demand your cooperation with Portland police and the Multnomah County DA, because we need to investigate this incident efficiently and effectively so we can rebuild trust with our nation’s government.”

Protests and Arrests

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at three separate vigils Thursday night in Portland, including outside the ICE facility in South Portland that has been the site of ongoing protests for months.

Portland police arrested six people during protests outside the ICE facility Thursday night for alleged misdemeanors. As of midnight, approximately 60 to 90 protesters remained at the scene.

State Senator Kayse Jama (D-Northeast Portland) expressed anger at federal operations.

“I’m outraged and angry and frustrated. Let me speak to Oregonians: I share your frustration. To ICE: This is Oregon. We don’t need you. You’re not welcome, and you need to get the hell out of our community.”

Portland City Councilor Sameer Kanal echoed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s criticism of ICE after Good’s killing.

“You are hearing and you are seeing attempts to justify the unjustifiable, to completely defend the indefensible from our federal government. It’s unacceptable. We’re going to stand against it. We see through your bullshit.”

County Emergency Declaration Extended

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to extend an emergency declaration in response to ICE’s continued presence in the area. County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson originally issued the declaration in December “in response to ongoing impacts from federal immigration enforcement.”

“Multnomah County will not stand by as federal governments attack our neighbors. What we can say now is enough is enough. The terror and violence ICE is causing in our neighborhoods must end now.”

No federal agents were injured in Thursday’s shooting. The FBI is investigating the incident as an “assault” on two Border Patrol agents.

Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley both called for peaceful protests and urged demonstrators not to give President Donald Trump justification to deploy additional federal forces.

As Oregon launches an independent investigation, will state authorities uncover a different narrative than federal claims about the Portland shooting, similar to disputes over the Minneapolis killing?

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