The incident that recently took place in Southeast Portland has resulted in federal charges against Luis David Nino-Moncada. As reported by KATU, Nino-Moncada is facing charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property, after allegedly using his vehicle to ram into a Customs & Border Patrol agent's car. The encounter also saw Nino-Moncada getting shot in the arm, and his passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, charged with illegal entry into the United States, as KLCC reveals.
Both Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras are alleged to have ties to the international gang Tren de Aragua, with court documents linking Zambrano-Contreras to the gang's prostitution activities. During the Portland operation, while not wearing body cameras, Border Patrol agents identified and approached a red Toyota Tacoma, which initiated a series of events culminating in Nino-Moncada's alleged assault and the subsequent shooting. "A Border Patrol agent interviewed by FBI special agents described being fearful that Nino-Moncada could strike them and other Border Patrol agents with the target vehicle,” according to a Department of Justice press release obtained by KATU.
After the shooting, Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras managed to drive several miles before seeking help at an apartment complex. On the scene, while applying a tourniquet, law enforcement officials reported Nino-Moncada cursing at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to a probable cause affidavit, "Responding law enforcement placed a tourniquet on Luis Nino-Moncada. While placing the tourniquet, [he] repeatably stated ‘f*** ICE’."
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the FBI has run into difficulties gathering video evidence, as surveillance cameras in the area and body-worn cameras on agents failed to capture the incident. The lack of video documentation contrasts sharply with a recent shooting in Minneapolis, which was caught on camera. The ongoing FBI investigation now depends heavily on the testimonies of the agents involved. "Investigators have scoured the area and social media in an effort to find surveillance footage, but to no avail," an FBI Special Agent Daniel Jeffreys stated in the charging document referenced by KLCC.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has publicly addressed the event, stating, "Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department. This man — an illegal alien with ties to a foreign terrorist organization — should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again," as reported by KLCC. Nino-Moncada is scheduled to appear in court to face the charges against him.
