Two suspected members of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were shot by US Customs and Border Protection agents in Portland, Oregon on Thursday after allegedly attempting to run down officers during a traffic stop.
The Department of Homeland Security said the pair “weaponised” their vehicle during the encounter, prompting agents to open fire in self-defence.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin explained that officers had properly identified themselves before the driver allegedly tried to mow them down.
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot.
The Department of Homeland Security said the pair ‘weaponised’ their vehicle during the encounter
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“The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. This situation is evolving, and more information is forthcoming,” Ms McLaughlin said.
According to officials, the driver is allegedly a member of the criminal organisation, while the female passenger is said to be an illegal Venezuelan migrant with suspected links to the gang’s prostitution operations and shootings in the Portland area.
Portland police located a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street at roughly 2.20pm local time, after the male suspect phoned for assistance.
Officers discovered the shooting had actually taken place around three miles from where the pair were found.
Police Chief Bob Day stressed his department played no part in the shooting
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Police applied tourniquets to both individuals before they were rushed to hospital for treatment and their current condition remains unknown.
Police Chief Bob Day stressed his department played no part in the shooting, saying: “We are still in the early stages of this incident.
“We understand this 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.”
The deadly confrontation in Minneapolis on Wednesday saw an Ice agent fatally shoot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
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The deadly confrontation in Minneapolis saw an Ice agent fatally shoot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good
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FACEBOOKFootage from the scene appeared to show Ms Good striking the officer with her car before he fired through the vehicle’s window.
President Trump and Homeland Security officials maintained the agent acted in self-defence, branding Good a “domestic terrorist.”
Sources told The New York Post that she was an anti-ICE “warrior” who had joined a group of activists dedicated to documenting and resisting federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
Ms Good is said to have connected with the activist network through her six-year-old son’s school, which promotes social justice and encourages children to participate in political activism.
After the Minneapolis incident, the DHS reported a dramatic spike in vehicle attacks on ICE officers, claiming an increase of roughly 3,200 per cent over the past year.
In the year to January 2026, 66 such attacks were recorded, compared with just two in the same period the previous year.
Federal officials pointed the finger at “radical rhetoric from sanctuary politicians” for the dramatic rise in violence targeting immigration enforcement officers.
Death threats against agents have reportedly soared by more than 8,000 per cent over the same period.
