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Man shot by Border Patrol in Portland, OR, faces charges for ramming federal vehicle

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Published  January 12, 2026 2:11pm PST
Oregon
FOX 13 Seattle

The Brief

    • Federal prosecutors have charged a Portland-area man with assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation, the DOJ said.
    • Authorities say Luis Nino-Moncada was shot by a Border Patrol agent during the Jan. 8 operation and was living in the country illegally after previously being ordered removed by an immigration judge.
    • The DOJ said he has alleged ties to Tren de Aragua, while DHS linked his passenger to a prostitution ring associated with the group.
    • Nino-Moncada faces charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer and depredation of federal property.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The man authorities say was shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Portland last week is now facing federal charges after allegedly ramming a federal vehicle, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Federal prosecutors have charged a Portland-area man with assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation, the DOJ said. Authorities say Luis Nino-Moncada was shot by an ICE agent during the Jan. 8 operation and was living in the country illegally after previously being ordered removed by an immigration judge. The DOJ said he has alleged ties to Tren de Aragua, while DHS linked his passenger to a prostitution ring associated with the group. Nino-Moncada faces charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer and depredation of federal property.

Photo of Luis Nino-Moncada (DHS), photo of vehicle from Portland shooting incident (DOJ) (Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice)

The backstory:

Luis Nino-Moncada and a passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, were shot Jan. 8 during what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as a targeted vehicle stop. DHS said the situation escalated after agents attempted to detain the occupants.

Federal prosecutors allege Nino-Moncada used his vehicle to repeatedly strike federal law enforcement vehicles in an attempt to flee, placing Border Patrol agents in danger and causing significant damage. The DOJ said Nino-Moncada was living in the Portland area illegally and had previously been ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2024.

Federal prosecutors have charged a Portland-area man with assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation, the DOJ said. Authorities say Luis Nino-Moncada was shot by an ICE agent during the Jan. 8 operation and was living in the country illegally after previously being ordered removed by an immigration judge. The DOJ said he has alleged ties to Tren de Aragua, while DHS linked his passenger to a prostitution ring associated with the group. Nino-Moncada faces charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer and depredation of federal property.

(Department of Justice)

Dig deeper:

DHS said Nino-Moncada was previously arrested for DUI and was unauthorized to use the vehicle. Authorities have linked his passenger, Zambrano-Contreras, to a prostitution ring, and said both are under investigation for a possible connection to an earlier shooting in Portland.

What we know:

According to the DOJ, Border Patrol agents initiated the targeted operation on a vehicle believed to belong to Zambrano-Contreras, who was sitting in the passenger seat at the time of the operation. She had previously been arrested by Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas, and later failed to report to immigration authorities. Investigators believe she was involved in a shooting that stemmed from a bad prostitution deal.

After Nino-Moncada was commanded to exit the vehicle, he is alleged to have put his car in reverse and crashed into an unoccupied Border Patrol Vehicle, causing significant damage. Prosecutors say he continued driving forward and back multiple times, striking the patrol vehicle.

A Border Patrol agent interviewed by FBI agents said they feared Nino-Moncada could strike them and other agents with the vehicle, according to the complaint.

The DOJ said Nino-Moncada later admitted to intentionally ramming the Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee and said he knew it was an immigration enforcement vehicle.

Federal prosecutors have charged a Portland-area man with assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation, the DOJ said. Authorities say Luis Nino-Moncada was shot by an ICE agent during the Jan. 8 operation and was living in the country illegally after previously being ordered removed by an immigration judge. The DOJ said he has alleged ties to Tren de Aragua, while DHS linked his passenger to a prostitution ring associated with the group. Nino-Moncada faces charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer and depredation of federal property.

(Department of Justice)

What we don't know:

The DOJ did not specify when Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras were shot during the incident in its Monday news release. The complaint states that after the alleged attack, the two fled the scene in the vehicle. According to Portland Police Chief Bob Day, Nino-Moncada was shot in the arm and Zambrano-Contreras was shot in the chest. Both were reportedly in stable condition.

What they're saying:

"Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department," said Attorney General Pam Bondi. "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."

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What's next:

Nino-Moncada is charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property exceeding $1,000. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday at 1:30 p.m.

The Source: Information in this story comes from a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.

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