Department of Homeland Security Comments on Portland Shooting

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the two individuals shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Portland, Oregon, were gang members along with “their prostitutes.”

This announcement was made in response to questions from ABC 17 News. DHS asserted that the two individuals were not merely an innocent “couple,” but rather illegal aliens who attacked Border Patrol agents.

The DHS identified the driver as Luis David Nico Moncada, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant suspected to be affiliated with the Torren de Aragua gang. Moncada had entered the U.S. in 2022 and had previously been arrested for drunk driving and unauthorized vehicle usage, after which a final removal order was issued.

The woman involved was identified as Yorlenis Bezabeth Zambrano Contreras, who is also thought to have connections to the same gang. She entered the U.S. in 2023 and, according to DHS, played an active role in the prostitution ring linked to the gang and had prior involvement in a shooting incident in Portland.

Local police reported that they responded to a call for assistance from Moncada and treated both him and Zambrano Contreras for their gunshot wounds.

The shooting occurred just two days after a woman died while attempting to flee from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney mentioned that, as far as she knew, both individuals were still alive, while Mayor Keith Wilson urged for an end to federal operations within the city.