An Oregon congresswoman has faced intense questioning after releasing a statement on a controversial shooting involving a Border Patrol agent before key facts about the suspects' alleged gang ties were made public.
Confrontation on Capitol Hill
Progressive Democrat Representative Maxine Dexter was challenged by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin on Tuesday over a statement she issued regarding the January 8 incident in Portland. In that event, a Border Patrol agent shot two individuals, Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, after they allegedly rammed a law enforcement vehicle.
Melugin directly asked the congresswoman why she did not wait for official facts to emerge before publishing her comments. "Why didn't you wait for any facts to come out on the Portland Border Patrol shooting before you put your statement out?" he pressed. Dexter initially attempted to clarify, saying, "I did not make a statement about the—" but was interrupted by Melugin who stated, "You did. It's on Twitter."
The Contentious Statement and Revealed Facts
In her original statement, Dexter referenced the "horrific murder in Minneapolis" the day prior, involving the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer. She said she had received reports that two people in her district were shot by federal immigration officials. Her statement claimed "ICE has done nothing but inject terror, chaos, and cruelty into our communities" and demanded an end to ICE operations in Portland.
However, authorities later clarified that the agent involved was from Border Patrol, not ICE, and acted in self-defence. Furthermore, both the Department of Homeland Security and Portland Police revealed the suspects had links to Tren De Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang implicated in drug trafficking, prostitution, and murders across the United States.
During the exchange, Dexter argued the suspects were denied due process. Court records, however, show Nino-Moncada had a final removal order from a Colorado judge in November 2024, and Zambrano-Contreras was eligible for arrest after an illegal entry in September 2023.
Gang Links and the Day of the Shooting
An FBI affidavit alleges Nino-Moncada frequently drove Zambrano-Contreras around Portland for prostitution. This alleged ring was discovered by local police in July 2024 after a hotel shooting linked to a dispute with customers.
On January 8, Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a red Toyota Tacoma driven by Nino-Moncada. The FBI states the driver repeatedly reversed into a Border Patrol vehicle. An agent then fired into the truck. Nino-Moncada, shot in the arm, fled the scene with Zambrano-Contreras, who was hit in the chest. They later called 911 for medical aid and were arrested at the hospital.
According to the FBI, Nino-Moncada told agents "f*** ICE" and admitted to ramming the vehicles to escape.
The incident has sparked debate over the speed of political responses to law enforcement actions and the complex challenges posed by transnational criminal organisations operating within US communities.
