Summary: CBP agents shot two people during a Jan. 8 traffic-stop confrontation in Portland; both were treated and face federal charges. Detectives later linked the female suspect, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, to a July 2025 apartment-complex shooting that produced no injuries and was referred to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office. Authorities say the suspects have alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, and investigators were unable to locate body-worn camera or surveillance footage of the January encounter.
Portland Border Patrol Shooting Linked to Earlier Apartment-Complex Gunfire, Police Say
A damaged Border Patrol vehicle that was struck by Luis Moncada during an attempted arrest, authorities said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers shot two people during a Jan. 8 traffic-stop confrontation in Portland. Detectives later identified the female passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, as a person of interest in a separate, non-injury shooting at an apartment complex in unincorporated Washington County in July 2025.
What Happened
Federal prosecutors say agents moved to conduct a targeted traffic stop on a Toyota Tacoma occupied by Zambrano-Contreras and her husband, Luis Nino-Moncada. Prosecutors allege that Nino-Moncada refused to exit the vehicle and then reversed into a Border Patrol vehicle with force, repeatedly ramming it in forward and reverse and causing significant damage. Fearing for their safety, a Border Patrol agent fired, striking both occupants. Both were treated for gunshot wounds and later charged with federal offenses.
Link To Earlier July Shooting
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital deputies responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment complex in July 2025. No one was injured, and the suspects had fled before deputies arrived. A neighbor later said the incident was startling in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. Detectives identified Zambrano-Contreras as a person of interest in that July incident. Because the investigation crossed jurisdictions and could involve federal crimes, it was referred to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and remains active.
Portland police officers in riot gear detain protesters during a demonstration near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Police said six people were arrested during the protest.
Allegations And Investigation Details
Federal prosecutors have described both Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras as having ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. They say Nino-Moncada entered the United States illegally in 2022 and was subject to a final order of removal, and that Zambrano-Contreras entered illegally in 2023 and has been accused of participation in a prostitution ring alleged to be linked to the gang.
Video And Evidence: The Justice Department said none of the six Border Patrol agents involved were wearing body-worn cameras, and investigators were unable to locate surveillance or social media video of the confrontation.
Context
The Portland shooting occurred days after a separate, controversial fatal shooting involving ICE agents in Minneapolis, in which 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good died during an immigration-enforcement operation. Federal officials said Good was shot after she allegedly attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon against agents.
Local and federal officials have declined further comment, directing inquiries to federal investigators as the active probe continues.
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