U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents shot and injured two people Thursday in Portland, Oregon, police reported, raising national tensions even higher following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal immigration officer a day earlier.
The Portland victims, a man and a woman, were hospitalized after the shooting in a parking lot in the southeast part of the city, according to a Portland Police Bureau press release. Many details remain unclear, but police said they arrived on the scene to find the pair with gunshot wounds and “applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel.”
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement describing the couple as “criminal illegal aliens” who are “suspected” associates of the Tren de Aragua gang. Prior to the shooting, the DHS charges, they “weaponized their vehicle” against agents. The agency identified them as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, both from Venezuela.
DHS didn’t provide an update on their conditions, or say whether they’d be taken into federal custody.
Local officials, meanwhile, did not confirm DHS’s description of the victims or federal officials’ version of events.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in the release. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
At a press conference Thursday evening, local and state officials said they were still seeking answers, and had little news to share about the federal investigation — including whether the DHS’ version of events was accurate.
“We do not know if this is immigration related,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the state Department of Justice will open a formal investigation.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson released a statement likening the incident to the Minneapolis shooting on Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. That shooting has become highly politicized, with President Donald Trump and his top allies claiming the woman was attempting to run over the ICE agent with her car. Democrats — including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — and independent media organizations have disputed that claim.
“Just one day after the horrific violence in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents, our community here in Portland is now grappling with another deeply troubling incident,” Wilson said. “We cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts. Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences. As Mayor, I call on ICE to end all operations in Portland until a full investigation can be completed.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield released a statement demanding “transparency and accountability” from federal agencies.
“We have been clear about our concerns with the excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland ” Rayfield said. “Oregonians deserve clear answers when people are injured in their neighborhoods.”
Protests popped up following the Minneapolis shooting, and Walz has readied the National Guard in case there is a need for help in maintaining public safety.
Andy Campbell is a Senior Enterprise Editor for MS NOW Digital. He is also the author of "We Are Proud Boys: How a right-wing street gang ushered in a new era of American extremism."