Federal officers from the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Protective Service, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement provide security for the ICE facility in Portland, Oregon.
PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and wounded two individuals Thursday afternoon during a targeted vehicle stop in Southeast Portland, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The shooting comes as federal immigration enforcement operations face intensified national scrutiny following a fatal incident involving an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this week.
DHS said the operation targeted a Venezuelan national who is unlawfully in the United States and believed to have ties to Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization. Officials also linked the individual to a recent shooting in Portland.
DHS Account of the Shooting
DHS said agents identified themselves during the stop when the driver attempted to use the vehicle as a weapon. The driver tried to strike the agents, prompting one of them to fire what the department described as a defensive shot.
The vehicle fled the scene. Both suspects later sought medical treatment and remain hospitalized. No federal agents were injured.
The shooting occurred at about 2:15 p.m. in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood.
Federal Investigation Underway
Officers with the Portland Police Bureau responded to the initial reports. They later deferred investigative authority to federal agencies.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the use of force, DHS said.
Heightened Scrutiny of Federal Enforcement
The Portland shooting comes as federal immigration operations face increased political and public scrutiny nationwide. That scrutiny intensified this week following a large-scale DHS operation in Minnesota.
Federal officials deployed up to 2,000 agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area earlier this month. DHS described the surge as the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.
On January 7, an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. Federal officials described the shooting as self-defense during a vehicular assault. Minnesota state leaders questioned that account and called for independent review.
Protests followed, along with demands for changes to federal enforcement practices.
No White House Statement Yet
As of Thursday evening, the White House had not released a statement about the Portland shooting.
DHS said this incident happened as a part of ongoing operations targeting alleged criminal networks, including Tren de Aragua affiliates.
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