Feds Shoot Two In Portland

Police in Portland, Ore. said federal agents shot two people Thursday afternoon, prompting an FBI investigation.

Officers with the Portland Police Bureau responded around 2:20 p.m. to reports of a shooting, where they said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were involved, as reported by KOMO News. Minutes later, officers learned that a shooting victim had called for help as responding officers found a man and a woman suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said Thursday afternoon that both victims were alive to her knowledge, though officials had not released their conditions, but paramedics transported the two wounded individuals to area hospitals. Mayor Keith Wilson condemned the incident and called for a halt to federal operations in the city.

Assistant Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said U.S. Border Patrol agents fired defensive shots after identifying themselves and facing an imminent threat. She also said the vehicle fled the scene with two occupants.

“The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland. The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” McLaughlin wrote. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”

The DHS did not immediately respond to the