Two ICE-related shootings spark protests across the US
Protests continued in cities across the country after two ICE-related shootings in separate parts of the country.
Two people who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says are connected to Venezuelan gangs were shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during a vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon, on January 8.
This gang, Torren de Aragua, was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US State Department in 2025.
“Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that uses the border to bring murder, drugs, and chaos into American society,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in December following the announcement of a nationwide crackdown on the gang.
Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenis Bezabeth Zambrano-Contreras, two Portland residents who DHS said may have gang ties, were shot and killed after a driver used their car as a “murder weapon” and tried to run over the employee, the agency said in a Jan. 8 X post.
According to a DHS social media post, the driver of the vehicle attempted to hit the officers, and one of the officers “fired defensively.” The two occupants of the car were injured and will remain at the hospital and in FBI custody, federal officials said.
DHS also alleged that Zambrano Contreras, a passenger in the car, was involved in a recent shooting in Portland. The Jan. 8 shooting occurred one day after the ICE shooting that killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As Portland authorities call for a transparent investigation and also demand that federal agents be removed from the city, here’s what you need to know about Venezuelan gangs DHS and the Justice Department say they pose a serious threat to U.S. public safety.
What is the Aragua train?
President Donald Trump has claimed that Torren de Aragua has a widespread presence in the United States and is using the gang as justification for deportation.
In March 2025, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemy Act. This law, which dates back to 1798, is a rarely used law that allows presidents to deport noncitizens during wartime. This is the first time in more than 80 years that the law has been enacted, the last time being for the internment of Japanese and Germans during World War II.
Torren de Aragua, also known as TdA, made headlines during the 2024 presidential campaign when President Trump claimed in a debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris that the gang was “taking over” Aurora, Colorado. However, some law enforcement officials and documents suggest it is a relatively small and unsophisticated organization.
The Trump administration also cited gang ties as a reason to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvadoran prisons in 2025. Advocates and families of some deportees say they were wrongly accused due to lack of evidence.
The gang originated in a Venezuelan prison and later evolved into a “transnational criminal organization” led by Hector Rustenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” according to the U.S. Department of State and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The State Department said Guerrero-Flores used his time in prison to expand his gang’s influence. As a result, Torren de Aragua has successfully taken control of Venezuela’s gold mines and drug corridors on the Caribbean coast, according to a notice released by the ministries.
Federal authorities allege the gang also operates in Chile, Peru and the United States. In December, Guerrero-Flores was indicted in federal court in Manhattan on charges of extortion, terrorism, drug importation, and firearms crimes.
“As suspected, Hector Rustenford Guerrero Flores is the mastermind behind the evolution of Torren de Aragua from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organization that has committed countless acts of violence, extortion, and drug trafficking throughout North America, South America, and Europe,” Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.
What does the Trump administration say about gangs?
On January 20, 2025, his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive action designating Torren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
“Cartels have engaged in campaigns of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere, not only destabilizing countries important to our national interests, but also flooding the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and violent gangs,” the presidential action states.
Since then, President Trump has maintained that the gang has a significant presence in the United States, even claiming in a recent press conference that now-captive Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro “has sent brutal and murderous gangs, including the bloodthirsty prison gang Torren de Aragua, to terrorize American communities across the country,” PBS News and Colorado Public Radio reported.
President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested when the U.S. military attacked Venezuela as part of a large-scale operation and are facing charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Both men later pleaded not guilty to the charges.
What happened in Portland?
Portland police responded to a report of a shooting on January 8 at approximately 2:18 p.m., according to Portland Police Chief Bob Day. Officers confirmed that federal agents were involved in the shooting.
Police said one of the victims called for help about six minutes after the shooting occurred. Officers responded and found a man and woman with gunshot wounds approximately three miles from the scene of the shooting. The people were then taken to a nearby hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security identified those shot as the car’s driver, Luis David Nico Moncada, and the sole passenger, Yorlenis Bezabeth Zambrano-Contreras. The agency alleged that both men entered the United States illegally.
Zambrano-Contreras was targeted because of his “active role in the Torren de Aragua prostitution ring and previous involvement in a shooting incident in Portland,” the agency said.
Ward 1 City Councilor Jamie Dunphy said during the City Council meeting that the individuals are a married couple.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Layfield said the state Department of Justice is investigating the shooting.
Day said at an evening press conference that local authorities were not aware of the facts of the incident.
“This is a federal investigation. The FBI is leading the investigation. We are in contact with the FBI,” he said. “This is their responsibility…At this point, we don’t know if this is an immigration-related event.”
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Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Please contact mdelrey@usatoday.com.
