2 people were shot by a federal agent after accusations of having ties to a notorious gang. Here is what we know

By Taylor Romine, CNN

(CNN) — A Border Patrol agent shot two people in Portland, Oregon, during a traffic stop after authorities said they were associated with a Venezuelan gang, another incident in a string of confrontations with federal authorities that have left Americans frustrated with immigration enforcement during the Trump administration.

The man and woman are in stable condition after the agent shot them Thursday in their car in what the Department of Homeland Security said was self-defense after the driver tried to weaponize the vehicle.

The incident happened a day after a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, which has spurred protests across the nation as concerns of agents using increasingly risky or violent tactics intensify.

The FBI is leading the investigation into Thursday’s shooting, calling it “an assault on … federal officers” in a statement. Oregon’s attorney general has also opened an investigation into the shooting. It’s not clear, in the wake of the discord between Minneapolis and federal officials, whether federal authorities will allow Portland officials to participate.

As Portland faces another round of scrutiny from the Trump administration, here is what we know about Thursday’s shooting and the ensuing investigation:

What authorities said happened

At 2:19 p.m. local time, Border Patrol agents conducted a targeted vehicle stop with two Venezuelan migrants connected to the Tren de Aragua gang, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Thursday.

When the agents identified themselves to the car’s occupants, “the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” McLaughlin said. One agent, “fearing for his life and safety,” fired a defensive shot, and the driver drove off with the passenger, she said.

Portland police officers responded just after 2:15 p.m. local time to the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street to a report of a shooting, according to Portland Police Chief Bob Day and a news release.

Several minutes later, officers responded to a report of a man calling for help near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside after being shot. The man and a woman who was also shot were transported to the hospital, the release said.

The man in the car was shot in the arm, and the woman was shot in the chest, DHS said Friday.

Both remained hospitalized Friday, and the FBI will assume custody upon their release, DHS said.

No agents were injured in the shooting, DHS said in a statement Friday.

Day said Thursday night he didn’t “know the facts of this case” as the FBI was conducting the investigation, but his department was offering whatever resources federal authorities needed.

Who are the people who were shot?

DHS identified the driver and passenger Friday as Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, two Venezuelan migrants who authorities say entered the country illegally in the last several years.

Nino-Moncada “is a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and suspected Tren de Aragua gang member,” DHS posted Friday on X.

“The passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, is a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and is associated with Tren de Aragua,” DHS said. “Since illegally entering, Contreras played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland.”

Tren de Aragua is a notorious Venezuelan gang President Donald Trump has targeted amid accusations of drug trafficking, murder and other violence. Details about why federal authorities believe the two are linked to Tren de Aragua were not immediately released.

Nino-Moncada illegally entered the US in 2022, and Zambrano-Contreras illegally entered the US in 2023, DHS said in a post on X, adding they were “RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration.”

The agency did not give further details about either of their prior encounters with immigration authorities.

In the first hours after the incident, a DHS law enforcement official cited to CNN an incident report indicating the two suspects were married and were members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. On Friday, McLaughlin told CNN the man and woman are not married.

While DHS didn’t share additional information on the shooting they said Zambrano-Contreras was involved in, Day gave more insight on the situation during a news conference Friday.

There was a shooting in Portland last July, where a victim – a Venezuelan immigrant – said the suspects are associated with Tren de Aragua, Day said. The man and woman who were shot Thursday were identified as being associated with the gang, but they are not currently suspects in the July shooting, Day said.

The man and woman also appear to be involved in criminal cases in Washington County, Oregon, he said.

Oregon launches own investigation into shooting

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting the FBI in its investigation, the agency said. The FBI declined further comment when asked for additional details on its investigation.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced his office was launching its own investigation on Thursday night, saying it will “look into whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority.”

“We have been clear about our concerns with excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland and nationally,” Rayfield said in a statement. “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.”

The investigation will include witness interviews, video evidence and other materials, and may be referred to the Multnomah County District Attorney for potential prosecution.

It isn’t clear if federal authorities are cooperating with the state’s investigation.

Politicians call for ICE to leave Portland

The shooting has brought backlash from elected officials and the public alike.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called on ICE to halt all operations in the city, saying while he knows what the federal government said happened, it was “long past” taking them at their word.

“Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents,” Wilson said at a news conference. “When the administration talks about using full force, we are seeing what it means on our streets.”

“The attorney general and other leaders have been clear about our concerns with the excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland, and today’s incident only heightens the need for transparency and accountability,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said while calling for a “full, completed” investigation. “Oregonians deserve clear answers.”

Even Oregon Sen. Kayse Jama had a strong message by telling ICE to “get the hell out of our community,” mirroring the anger the Minneapolis mayor has expressed this week.

The Board of Commissioners for Multnomah County, which includes part of Portland, had extended an emergency declaration Thursday in response to ICE’s continued presence before the shooting even happened, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said. The declaration was originally issued in December “in response to ongoing impacts from federal immigration enforcement,” Vega Pederson said at the time.

Protesters were out Thursday night at a local ICE facility, where six people were arrested, the Portland Police Bureau said in a release. A couple of officers were slightly injured, Day said.

There was an increase in “energy and intensity” in the protests, Day said, but he was hopeful protesters would remain peaceful throughout the weekend.

“We will continue to be challenged with all of the various influences that are coming upon us, but I’m asking and encouraging Portlanders to not lose the credibility that we have built up, not only locally but nationally,” he said.

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CNN’s Lex Harvey, Holly Yan, Amanda Musa, Josh Campbell, Priscilla Alvarez, John Miller and Lizzie Jury contributed to this report.