At a Glance
- The FBI says no body-cam, surveillance, or bystander video exists of last Thursday’s Portland shooting.
- Border Patrol agents claim the driver rammed their rental car before the agent opened fire.
- Both occupants of the truck were wounded; the driver now faces federal assault charges.
- Why it matters: The absence of footage intensifies scrutiny of federal immigration tactics after back-to-back shootings in Minnesota and Oregon.
The FBI has confirmed it has located no video-body-worn, surveillance, or otherwise-of the moment a Border Patrol agent shot and wounded two people inside a pickup truck during an immigration enforcement stop in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday.
What Agents Say Happened
According to an FBI affidavit unsealed Monday, six agents had surrounded the truck in a medical-office parking lot when the driver threw the vehicle into reverse and repeatedly slammed into an unoccupied rental car the agents were using. The impact, agents told investigators, “smashed its headlights and knocked off its front bumper.” They said they feared for their own safety and for bystanders, prompting one agent to fire.
The truck sped away; neither the agent nor the agency has been publicly identified.
No Recording Devices Active
Investigators have confirmed that none of the six agents wore activated body cameras. FBI Special Agent Daniel Jeffreys wrote that, despite canvassing the area, detectives have found no surveillance footage and no civilian recordings of the shooting.
Driver Charged After 911 Call
Luis David Nino-Moncada, the wounded driver, dialed 911 minutes later from an apartment complex. He was treated for gunshot wounds to the arm and abdomen and then placed in FBI custody. An affidavit supporting aggravated-assault and property-damage charges says that, after being read his rights, Nino-Moncada “admitted to intentionally ramming the Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee, and he stated that he knew they were immigration enforcement vehicles.”
During a Monday afternoon court appearance in Portland, Nino-Moncada wore a white sweatshirt and sweatpants and held his left arm at an awkward angle. A Spanish interpreter translated proceedings. A judge ordered him detained pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Passenger Hospitalized, Faces Separate Charge
The truck’s passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, was shot in the chest and later listed in a Tacoma, Washington, private immigration detention center. She faces a federal illegal-entry charge filed last week in Texas.
| Individual | Status | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Luis David Nino-Moncada | In federal custody, wounded | Aggravated assault, property damage |
| Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras | Detained in Tacoma, wounded | Illegal entry into the U.S. |
Gang Affiliation Allegations
The Department of Homeland Security says both individuals entered the U.S. illegally-Nino-Moncada in 2022 and Zambrano-Contreras in 2023-and classifies them as affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Portland Police Chief Bob Day said last week the pair had “some nexus” to the gang, coming to police attention during a July shooting investigation, though neither was named a suspect in that case. Day added that Zambrano-Contreras had a prior prostitution arrest and that Nino-Moncada was present when a search warrant was served in that matter.
National Backdrop
The Portland shooting occurred one day after a federal agent in Minneapolis fatally shot a woman during another immigration operation, triggering protests over what critics call overly aggressive federal tactics. The FBI is leading inquiries into both incidents.
Official Reactions
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement Monday saying, “Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department. This man-an illegal alien with ties to a foreign terrorist organization-should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again.”
Oregon Federal Public Defender Fidel Cassino-DuCloux, whose office represents Nino-Moncada, countered last week that the shooting and the charges “follow a well-worn playbook that the government has developed to justify the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of its agents.”
Key Takeaways
- No footage exists: Despite federal protocols encouraging body-camera use, none of the agents recorded the encounter.
- Driver admits ramming: Court papers say Nino-Moncada confessed he deliberately struck the agent’s vehicle to escape.
- Rapid sequence of shootings: The Portland incident is the second in 48 hours involving federal immigration agents using lethal force, intensifying public debate over enforcement tactics.
