Overview:
Two individuals — a man and a woman — were wounded in a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, a law‑enforcement official confirmed. Portland police said the incident occurred during what federal authorities described as a “targeted vehicle stop”, after which both victims were found with gunshot wounds and taken to a local hospital.
Incident Details:
The shooting took place at approximately 2:18 p.m. local time in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood when Portland Police Bureau officers responded to reports of gunfire near the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street, close to a medical facility.
Shortly after, police were notified that a man who had been shot was calling for help about 2.5 miles away near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street. There, officers located the male and female victims with apparent gunshot wounds, applied tourniquets and summoned emergency medical services.
The conditions of the two wounded individuals remain unknown, and their identities have not been released by authorities.
Federal Account:
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents conducted the stop as part of an operation against a vehicle believed to carry individuals with alleged gang ties, citing affiliations with the Venezuelan “Tren de Aragua” criminal network.
According to DHS, after the agents identified themselves to the occupants, the driver allegedly “weaponized his vehicle” and attempted to run over the agents, prompting one Border Patrol officer to fire in self‑defense. The vehicle then fled the scene with the passenger onboard.
Local and Political Reaction:
Portland Mayor **Keith Wilson publicly called for a pause in federal immigration enforcement operations pending an independent investigation, asserting that the community “deserves answers.”
Portland Police Chief Bob Day stressed that the local department had not initiated the shooting and that the FBI is leading the ongoing investigation.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said his office would open a formal inquiry into whether any federal officers acted outside the scope of their lawful authority and emphasized the need for transparency and accountability.
Broader Context:
The Portland incident occurred one day after a separate fatal shooting by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, which has already sparked widespread protests and intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement practices across the United States.
