DHS identifies two Venezuelan nationals shot by Border Patrol in Portland
Jan 9, 2026, 8:59 AM | Updated: 3:49 pm
Left: Luis David Nico Moncada. Right: Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras (Photos courtesy of DHS)
(Photos courtesy of DHS)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released the names of the people shot by border patrol agents in Portland Thursday.
Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland just one day after an officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota, authorities confirmed with The Associated Press.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Luis David Nico Moncada, DHS confirmed on X. The passenger was identified as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Both are “criminal illegal aliens” from Venezuela, according to DHS, and are suspected to be associated with Tren de Aragua — a transnational organized crime syndicate from Venezuela.
“Yesterday, two suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates — let loose on American streets by Joe Biden — weaponized their vehicle against Border Patrol in Portland,” DHS stated on X. “The agent took immediate action to defend himself and others, shooting them.”
According to the government agency, Moncada illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and has previously been arrested for DUI and unauthorized use of a vehicle, while Zambrano-Contreras allegedly played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring since illegally entering the country. She was involved in a prior shooting in Portland.
They told dispatchers they were a married couple and had been shot by ICE. Both are in the hospital, but their conditions are unknown, as of this reporting.
The FBI will assume custody upon their release.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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