Federal agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, just one day after a killing by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent sparked national outrage.
The Department of Homeland Security told The Intercept that the agents responsible for the shooting were conducting immigration enforcement with the U.S. Border Patrol, a division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. KATU, the local ABC affiliate, had previously reported the agents were with CBP.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agents shot the two people during a traffic stop, calling the passenger “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” and saying the agency “believed” the driver was “a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.” DHS has provided no evidence for the allegations, nor for McLaughlin’s additional claim that the passenger was “involved a recent shooting in Portland.”
According to a briefing published by the city government, Portland Police responding to a report of gunshots at 2:18 p.m. “confirmed that federal agents had been involved in a shooting.”
Minutes later, Portland Police “found a male and female with apparent gunshot wounds,” the briefing states. They were transported to a hospital.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
The shooting came just one day after an ICE agent in Minneapolis, whom The Intercept identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had been observing protests against immigration raids.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is developing story has been updated.
