What is Tren de Aragua? Gang cited by DHS in Portland shooting.
- - What is Tren de Aragua? Gang cited by DHS in Portland shooting.
Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY January 10, 2026 at 4:46 AM
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Two people who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says have ties to a Venezuelan gang were shot by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 8 during a vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon.
The gang, Tren de Aragua, was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. Department of State in 2025.
“Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs, and chaos into American communities,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in December following the announcement of a nationwide crackdown on the gang.
Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras − the two individuals in Portland who DHS said had possible connections to a the gang − were shot after the driver attempted to "weaponize" his car and run agents over, the agency said in an X post on Jan. 8.
As the driver of the vehicle tried hitting the agents, one of the officials "fired a defensive shot," according to the DHS social media post. Both occupants in the car were injured, federal officials said, adding that they will remain in the hospital and be released into FBI custody.
DHS also alleged that Zambrano-Contreras, the passenger of the vehicle, had been involved in a recent Portland shooting. The Jan. 8 shooting comes a day after the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which led to the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
With Portland officials calling for a transparent investigation, as they also demand that federal agents leave their city, here's what to know about the Venezuelan gang DHS and the Justice Department say is a significant threat to U.S. public safety.
a shooting involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, authorities said, prompting local leaders and law enforcement to plead for calm after tensions were heightened across the nation over the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by immigration agents a day earlier.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Two people were injured on Jan. 8 in a shooting involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, authorities said, prompting local leaders and law enforcement to plead for calm after tensions were heightened across the nation over the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by immigration agents a day earlier.
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Two people were injured on Jan. 8 in a shooting involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, authorities said, prompting local leaders and law enforcement to plead for calm after tensions were heightened across the nation over the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by immigration agents a day earlier.
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1 / 9See Portland protests after ICE injures two in shooting
Two people were injured on Jan. 8 in a shooting involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, authorities said, prompting local leaders and law enforcement to plead for calm after tensions were heightened across the nation over the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by immigration agents a day earlier.
What is Tren de Aragua?
President Donald Trump has claimed that Tren de Aragua has a widespread presence in the United States, and he has used the gang as a justification for deportations.
In March 2025, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely-used law dating back to 1798 that allows the president to deport noncitizens during wartime. This was the first time in more than eight decades that the act was enacted, with the last instance resulting in the internment of Japanese and German people during World War II.
Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA, became a topic of conversation during the 2024 presidential election when Trump claimed during a debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris that the gang was “taking over” Aurora, Colorado. But some law enforcement officials and documents suggest it is a relatively small and unsophisticated organization.
The Trump administration also cited affiliation with the gang as a reason for deporting Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran prison in 2025. Advocates and families of some deportees have said they were falsely accused based on little evidence.
The gang originated in a Venezuelan prison and has since developed into a “transnational criminal organization” led by Hector Rusthenford 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 the gang’s influence. As a result, Tren de Aragua has managed to gain control of gold mines in Venezuela and drug corridors on the Caribbean coast, a notice released by the department states.
Federal authorities have claimed that the gang also operates in Chile, Peru and the U.S. In December, Guerrero Flores was charged in a Manhattan federal court with racketeering, terrorism, drug importation and firearms offenses.
“As alleged, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores has been the mastermind of Tren de Aragua’s evolution from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organization that committed countless acts of violence, extortion, and drug trafficking all over North America, South America, and Europe,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement.
What has the Trump administration said about the gang?
Trump signed a presidential action on Jan. 20, 2025, his first day in office, designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” the presidential action states.
Since then, Trump has maintained the gang has a significant presence in the United States, even alleging at a recent news conference that now-captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro "sent savage and murderous gangs, including the bloodthirsty prison gang Tren de Aragua, to terrorize American communities nationwide," PBS News and Colorado Public Radio reported.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges after being seized when U.S. forces attacked Venezuela as part of a large-scale operation. Both of them have since pleaded not guilty to the alleged offenses.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 5, 2025.What happened in Portland?
Portland police officers responded to a report of a shooting around 2:18 p.m. on Jan. 8, Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. Officers confirmed that federal agents were involved in the shooting.
One of the victims called for help about six minutes after the shooting occurred, police said. Officers responded and located a man and woman with gunshot wounds about 3 miles from the shooting scene. The individuals were then taken to a nearby hospital.
Homeland Security identified the people who were shot as Luis David Nico Moncada, the driver of the vehicle, and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, the lone passenger. The agency alleged that both individuals entered the United States illegally.
Zambrano-Contreras was the target of the stop, as she "played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland," the agency said.
District 1 Councilor Jamie Dunphy said during a City Council meeting that the individuals are husband and wife.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the state Department of Justice is investigating the shooting.
While speaking at the evening news conference, Day said local authorities do not know the facts of the case.
"This is a federal investigation. It's being led by the FBI. We have been in touch with them," he said. "This is their responsibility … We, at this time, do not know if this is an immigration-related event."
Contributing: Michael Loria, Thao Nguyen & Fernando Cervantes Jr./ USA TODAY
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Tren de Aragua? DHS cites gang in Portland shooting.
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