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Portland Border Patrol shooting: What we know about the victims’ alleged Tren de Aragua ties
Federal agents shot two people during a targeted vehicle stop in Southeast Portland, believed to be connected to the Venezuelan gang.
Two people were shot by federal agents during a law enforcement operation in Southeast Portland on Thursday afternoon, per local time, prompting a federal investigation.
Authorities say the agents involved were with US Border Patrol and allege the people who were shot are connected to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as per Fox 12 Oregon. The case remains under investigation.
What happened in Southeast Portland
Portland police responded around 2:18 pm to reports of a shooting near the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street.
Officers confirmed that federal agents were involved, according to the Portland Police Bureau. The Department of Homeland Security later said the agents were Border Patrol officers, not Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to Fox 12, a dispatch audio suggested a man called police claiming that he and his wife had been shot, saying he was wounded in the arm and his wife in the chest.
The FBI’s Portland field office said it is investigating an alleged assault on federal officers that occurred around 2:15 pm. The agency said the two individuals fled the scene and were later taken to a local hospital. Their conditions have not been made public.
DHS account of the shooting
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop” when the incident occurred. DHS said agents identified themselves, after which the driver allegedly attempted to run over the officers using the vehicle.
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“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” DHS said. The department added that the vehicle then fled the scene. A later DHS statement referred to “defensive shots,” slightly revising the original account.
Tren de Aragua: what authorities allege
DHS said the passenger was a Venezuelan national affiliated with the transnational gang Tren de Aragua and allegedly linked to a recent Portland shooting.
The driver was also believed to be a member of the same gang, according to DHS.
Read More: Trump shares chilling footage of US military striking boat carrying ‘Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists’
Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago inside a prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state and expanded beyond the country as millions of Venezuelans migrated due to economic turmoil, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities across Latin America have linked the group to crimes including human trafficking, extortion, kidnappings and drug trafficking. US officials have cited the gang in recent enforcement actions, though its size and structure remain unclear.
Forbes, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the two people shot are a married couple. The man was reportedly shot in the arm and the woman in the chest. As of Thursday evening, their conditions were unknown.
