The Justice Department announced criminal charges Monday against one of two people shot by a Border Patrol agent last week in Portland, Oregon, accusing the man of hitting officers’ car with his as he tried to flee.
The officer shot and injured Luis Nino-Moncada and his partner, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, on Thursday in a parking lot during an immigration enforcement operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Both were hospitalized.
Nino-Moncada had an initial court appearance scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Nino-Moncada has been charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer. Court records did not yet list an attorney for him.
The Justice Department called Nino-Moncada a “known Tren de Aragua (TdA) associate.” DHS previously described the two as “criminal illegal aliens” from Venezuela who are “suspected” associates of the gang.
No charges have been brought against Zambrano-Contreras, who was being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, according to The New York Times.
Lawyers for both declined to comment, the Times reported.
Federal authorities’ characterization of the Portland shooting includes similar language to what DHS used to describe events during an ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good last week in Minneapolis. Good was also accused by DHS officials of “weaponizing” her vehicle, despite video evidence indicating she was turning away from an officer who stood in front of her car.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.