The motive force who was one in all two people shot by a federal agent throughout immigration enforcement operations in Portland, Oregon, final week allegedly rammed his truck into an unoccupied U.S. Border Patrol automobile previous to the taking pictures, in response to a federal criticism unsealed on Monday.
Luis Nino-Moncada is charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer with a lethal or harmful weapon and depredation of federal property in extra of $1,000, in response to the federal criticism.
A photograph posted to X by Lawyer Common Pamela Bondi, Jan. 12, 2025, with a caption stating that it’s a broken Border Patrol automobile.
Lawyer Common Pamela Bondi/X
Border Patrol brokers tried to cease his Crimson Toyota Tacoma on Thursday whereas conducting a focused enforcement operation specializing in his passenger, in response to the criticism.
Based on the criticism, Nino-Moncada appeared “anxious” and was transferring round within the driver’s seat. After brokers commanded them to exit, he allegedly put the automobile in reverse and struck an unoccupied Border Patrol automobile, inflicting “important injury,” in response to the criticism.
He then allegedly drove ahead and backward a number of instances, repeatedly hitting the federal automobile, in response to the criticism, which included a number of images of the broken automotive.
A Border Patrol agent then fired their service weapon twice on the driver of the truck, in response to statements from Border Patrol brokers, the criticism mentioned.
Nino-Moncada and the girl fled the scene and brokers didn’t know on the time whether or not anybody had been hit, in response to the criticism.
Border Patrol brokers didn’t pursue the automobile after it fled, in response to the criticism. Nino-Moncada shortly referred to as 911 from an house complicated a number of miles from the taking pictures scene requesting assist and Portland Police and medical support responded, police mentioned.
Throughout an FBI interview, Nino-Moncada allegedly admitted to deliberately ramming the Border Patrol automobile and acknowledged he knew they have been immigration enforcement automobiles, in response to the criticism.
Luis Nico-Moncada is seen in a photograph launched by Homeland Safety, Jan. 9, 2026.
Division of Homeland Safety/X
Based on the criticism, there isn’t any body-worn digital camera footage of the incident and no surveillance or social media video has been discovered.
Nino-Moncada and his passenger — recognized by DHS as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras — remained hospitalized in steady situation, police mentioned Friday.
Each are Venezuelan nationals who allegedly have ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, in response to DHS and Portland police.
The criticism alleged that Zambrano-Contreras is thought to be concerned with a TdA prostitution ring and was allegedly linked to a July taking pictures tied to a prostitution deal gone dangerous.
Nino-Moncada, who was beforehand ordered eliminated by a choose in Denver in 2024, allegedly drove the girl throughout her prostitution actions, in response to the criticism.
“Based on a newly unsealed criticism, Luis Nino-Moncada — an unlawful alien in Portland, Oregon with ties to Tren de Aragua — is alleged to have repeatedly rammed a Border Patrol automobile, threatening the lives of federal regulation enforcement officers,” Lawyer Common Pam Bondi mentioned in a press release on X on Monday. “He ought to NEVER have been in our nation to start with, and we’ll guarantee he NEVER walks free in America once more.”
The incident in Portland got here a day after an ICE officer shot and killed a girl in her automotive in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking outrage and backlash towards the presence of federal brokers there. Equally, the mayor of Portland referred to as for immigration enforcement operations to halt whereas the investigation is ongoing.
Within the Minneapolis case, federal officers alleged the motorist tried to run over an agent, who fired defensive photographs.
