{"id":2532007,"date":"2026-01-09T12:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T17:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspects-who-hit-cbp-agent-with-car-are-illegal-gang-affiliates\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T12:37:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T17:37:55","slug":"suspects-who-hit-cbp-agent-with-car-are-illegal-gang-affiliates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspects-who-hit-cbp-agent-with-car-are-illegal-gang-affiliates\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspects Who Hit CBP Agent With Car Are Illegal Gang Affiliates"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsuspects-who-hit-cbp-agent-with-car-are-illegal-gang-affiliates%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2532007&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Department of Homeland Security says two people shot after allegedly &#8220;weaponizing&#8221; their vehicle against a U.S. border Patrol agent in Portland are affiliated wiht the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. DHS says agents were conducting a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-2-shot-in-oregon-after-trying-to-run-over-border-patrol-agents\/\" title=\"Breaking: 2 Shot in Oregon After Trying to Run Over ...s\">targeted vehicle stop<\/a> when the driver attempted to run over officers, prompting an agent to fire in self-defense; the driver then fled with a passenger. The suspects were later identified by DHS as Luis David Nico Moncada (driver) and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras (passenger). DHS alleges Moncada is a suspected Tren de Aragua member with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mayorkas-not-all-1-2-million-illegal-immigrants-with-final-removal-orders-should-be-deported\/\" title=\"Mayorkas: Not All 1.2 Million Illegal Immigrants With Final Removal Orders Should Be Deported\">final removal order<\/a> and prior arrests, while Zambrano-Contreras was involved in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and a previous Portland shooting.Both are hospitalized and will be taken into federal custody when released.<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist article also links the Portland case to a recent Minneapolis incident in which a woman allegedly used her car against ICE agents and was shot; the piece criticizes Democrats and some media for quickly blaming immigration officials in these episodes. The story is reported by Shawn Fleetwood for The Federalist, citing DHS statements.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nu7a8BQTGO0\">  KPTV FOX 12 | Local news, weather Portland, Oregon\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/dhs-portland-suspects-who-weaponized-vehicle-against-cbp-agent-are-venezuelan-gang-affiliates\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=DHS:%20Portland%20Suspects%20Who%20%E2%80%98Weaponized%E2%80%99%20Vehicle%20Against%20CBP%20Agent%20Are%20Venezuelan%20Gang%20Affiliates&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/dhs-portland-suspects-who-weaponized-vehicle-against-cbp-agent-are-venezuelan-gang-affiliates\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=DHS:%20Portland%20Suspects%20Who%20%E2%80%98Weaponized%E2%80%99%20Vehicle%20Against%20CBP%20Agent%20Are%20Venezuelan%20Gang%20Affiliates&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/dhs-portland-suspects-who-weaponized-vehicle-against-cbp-agent-are-venezuelan-gang-affiliates\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/dhs-portland-suspects-who-weaponized-vehicle-against-cbp-agent-are-venezuelan-gang-affiliates\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=DHS:%20Portland%20Suspects%20Who%20%E2%80%98Weaponized%E2%80%99%20Vehicle%20Against%20CBP%20Agent%20Are%20Venezuelan%20Gang%20Affiliates&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/dhs-portland-suspects-who-weaponized-vehicle-against-cbp-agent-are-venezuelan-gang-affiliates\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Two suspects shot for &ldquo;weaponizing&rdquo; their vehicle against a Portland-based Border Patrol agent are affiliates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to the Department of Homeland Security. <\/p>\n<p>The revelation came late Thursday after news emerged of a shooting involving U.S. immigration officials in Portland, Oregon. Initial reporting indicated that two individuals were shot in the incident.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1885752771\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When details of the case finally emerged, it clearly was not what Democrats &mdash; who had already <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/10\/01\/lets-track-every-lie-dems-and-media-invented-to-demonize-immigration-agents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rushed to falsely blame<\/a> the immigration officials &mdash; were expecting.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/2009427948541993323?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DHS<\/a>, Border Patrol officials were conducting a &ldquo;targeted vehicle stop&rdquo; in Portland. The agency said that upon identifying themselves to the driver and passenger, &ldquo;the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crenshaw-the-lie-of-systemic-police-racism-that-kills\/\" title=\"CRENSHAW: The Lie Of \u2018Systemic Police Racism\u2019 That Kills\">law enforcement agents<\/a>.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The aggressive maneuver reportedly prompted an agent &mdash; who DHS said &ldquo;fear[ed] for his life and safety&rdquo; &mdash; to open fire on the vehicle. The driver then allegedly &ldquo;drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>DHS further revealed that the two suspects &mdash; later <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/2009638506339926497?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">identified<\/a> as Luis David Nico Moncada (driver) and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras (passenger) &mdash; are Venezuelan nationals released into the United States by the Biden administration and associated with the transnational gang Tren de Aragua. While Moncada is a suspected Tren de Aragua member who has a final order for removal and was &ldquo;arrested for DUI and unauthorized use of a vehicle,&rdquo; Zambrano-Contreras &ldquo;played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland,&rdquo; according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/2009638506339926497?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both suspects have since been hospitalized and will be taken into federal custody upon release, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/2009644147066433555?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmed<\/a> on Friday. <\/p>\n<p><strong>[READ:[READ:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/we-need-a-j6-level-manhunt-for-everyone-who-obstructs-immigration-law-enforcement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We Need A J6-Level Manhunt For Everyone Who Obstructs Immigration Law Enforcement<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The incident came a day after another apparent attack on U.S. immigration officials in Minneapolis, Minnesota. <\/p>\n<p>While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-border-czar-rebuffs-pope-over-immigration-criticism\/\" title=\"Trump border czar rebuffs pope over immigration criticism\">conducting immigration enforcement<\/a> in the city, a woman <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/megbasham\/status\/2009502260603310146?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used<\/a> her vehicle to interfere with such operations. After refusing to comply with ICE agents, the suspect then accelerated her car toward (and hit) an agent, prompting him to fire on her in self-defense. The woman &mdash; who has since been <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/01\/08\/us-news\/renee-nicole-good-was-minneapolis-ice-watch-warrior-who-trained-to-resist-feds-before-shooting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">identified<\/a> as an anti-ICE activist &mdash; died as a result. <\/p>\n<p>Much like with the Portland case, leftists <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/07\/minneapolis-mayor-blames-ice-for-car-ramming-attack-on-immigration-enforcement-officers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">immediately<\/a> used the incident to attack ICE and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/08\/any-democrat-accusing-ice-of-murder-is-begging-for-more-vigilante-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">incite<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/07\/deadly-anti-ice-car-ramming-is-latest-of-more-than-100-attacks-on-immigration-agents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">further violence<\/a> against officials seeking to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >enforce existing immigration laws<\/a>. This includes members of America&rsquo;s propaganda press, who have <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/the-washington-posts-analysis-of-the-minneapolis-shooting-is-pure-propaganda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attempted<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/07\/media-dont-want-you-to-know-anti-ice-driver-in-minneapolis-rammed-agents-with-her-car\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whitewash<\/a> the fact that the suspect hit the aforementioned ICE agent with her vehicle prior to shots being fired. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/customs-and-border-protection\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Customs and Border Protection<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/deportations\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Deportations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/illegal-aliens\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">illegal aliens<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/immigration-enforcement\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">immigration enforcement<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/oregon\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Oregon<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/portland\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Portland<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/tren-de-aragua-3\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Tren de Aragua-<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/venezuelans\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Venezuelans<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Suspects tied to Tren de Aragua shot in Portland<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2532008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Portland.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[33709,11139,39657,49347,70493],"class_list":["post-2532007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-border-security","tag-cbp","tag-gang-violence","tag-immigration-enforcement","tag-vehicle-assault"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Portland.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2532007"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2532011,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532007\/revisions\/2532011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2532008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2532007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2532007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2532007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}