Federal Agents Open Fire in Portland, Leaving 2 Injured: DHS Claims Self-Defense
The Department of Homeland Security said the incident took place when the US Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop.
A shooting incident in Portland, Oregon, left two people injured after US federal immigration agents allegedly opened fire in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has described as a case of self-defense. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon, and the FBI's Portland office is currently investigating the incident as an 'agent involved shooting.'
The Customs and Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in the city when the shooting took place. According to DHS, the driver of the vehicle was affiliated with a notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, and had allegedly weaponized his vehicle, attempting to run over the law enforcement agents.
In response, an agent fired a defensive shot, but the driver managed to flee the scene along with a passenger. The Portland Police received a report of the shooting and responded promptly, applying a tourniquet to the injured individuals before transporting them to the hospital for further treatment.
Their current conditions remain unknown. The shooting comes just a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minnesota, prompting Portland Police Chief Bob Day to urge calm as the investigation unfolds. The community is on high alert, with Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney assuring that the two Portlanders injured in the incident are alive and receiving treatment.
