DHS says 2 shot in Portland were linked to prostitution ring, Venezuelan gang
Jan 8, 2026, 4:05 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
Stock image of activated lights atop a police vehicle. (MyNorthwest file photo)
(MyNorthwest file photo)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated, via X, that the people shot by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Portland were linked to a prostitution ring and a Venezuelan gang.
“The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland. The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua,” DHS wrote on X.
DHS said that when the agents identified themselves to the occupants of the vehicle, the occupants tried to run over the agents.
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” DHS wrote.
At 2:19 PST, US Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon. The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in…
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 9, 2026
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Portland officers find man, woman shot
Portland officers then received a report that a man had been shot and was requesting help in the area of Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside. Police responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m. and found a man and woman with “apparent gunshot wounds,” the City of Portland stated in a news release.
A tourniquet was applied, and the man and woman were taken to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown.
The City of Portland confirmed federal agents were involved in the shooting, not Portland police.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement. “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.”
Officers have secured the scene pending an investigation.
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