Luis Nino-Moncada, 33, of Venezuela, was struck by gunfire after forcefully ramming his pickup truck into a federal vehicle several times to evade arrest.
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An illegal alien and associate of the vicious Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang has been convicted of a vehicular ramming attack against Border Patrol agents in Portland, Oregon. Luis Nino-Moncada, 33, of Venezuela, forcefully rammed his pickup truck into a federal vehicle several times to evade arrest as he was surrounded by officers, prompting an agent to fire his service weapon.
Nino-Moncada pleaded guilty on Monday to felony depredation of government property. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
The incident sparked riots outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland’s southwest waterfront after city officials falsely claimed federal agents had shot innocent individuals who they described as their "neighbors."
On January 8, 2026, Nino-Mercado parked his red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the parking lot of Adventist Health Portland. He had a female passenger, identified as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, a 32-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien involved with a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
After Nino-Mercado parked, a Border Patrol agent parked his federal vehicle behind him. Six Border Patrol agents exited their vehicles and surrounded Nino-Mercado's truck in an effort to arrest him and Zambrano-Contreras because of their unlawful status in the United States, court documents state.
Nino-Mercado proceeded to weaponize his vehicle, believing that he was being targeted by "ICE" agents, and began forcefully ramming his pickup truck into the government vehicle parked behind him. A federal officer fired his service weapon at Nino-Mercado during the attack, resulting in both occupants sustaining gunshot wounds.
The federal vehicle was deemed a total loss. Photo courtesy: DOJ
The illegal alien gang associates fled the scene and were later apprehended. Both of them survived their injuries.
Nino-Mercado admitted during Monday's court hearing that he was illegally residing in the US. A federal immigration judge ordered his removal in November 2024, according to court documents. He has been held in custody at the NW ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, since his arrest.
The pair had been on both local and federal law enforcement's radar before the attack.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Zambrano-Contreras is associated with a Tren de Aragua (TdA) prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland. Online records show that Zambrano-Contreras has been listed as a prostitute on several websites. TdA is a designated foreign terrorist organization rooted in Venezuela.
According to an FBI affidavit, Zambrano-Contreras was detained along with Nino-Moncada during an August 2025 prostitution sting in Portland. During a police interview, she reportedly admitted to being involved in a July 2025 shooting in Portland and listed several key players the pair had been working with, identifying them as Tren de Aragua gang members.
Shortly after their apprehension in January, Zambrano-Contreras was offered a plea agreement that allowed her to plead guilty to a 2023 illegal entry. She was sentenced to one year of supervised probation with GPS monitoring.
However, Zambrano-Contreras was arrested again in May for violating probation conditions. During court proceedings, she admitted to violating her court-ordered 9 pm curfew 20 to 30 times, returning home late or leaving in the middle of the night, federal prosecutors said.
A federal judge allowed her release but warned that she will remain in jail if conditions are violated again.
Nino-Moncada pleaded guilty on Monday to felony depredation of government property. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
The incident sparked riots outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland’s southwest waterfront after city officials falsely claimed federal agents had shot innocent individuals who they described as their "neighbors."
On January 8, 2026, Nino-Mercado parked his red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the parking lot of Adventist Health Portland. He had a female passenger, identified as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, a 32-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien involved with a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
After Nino-Mercado parked, a Border Patrol agent parked his federal vehicle behind him. Six Border Patrol agents exited their vehicles and surrounded Nino-Mercado's truck in an effort to arrest him and Zambrano-Contreras because of their unlawful status in the United States, court documents state.
Nino-Mercado proceeded to weaponize his vehicle, believing that he was being targeted by "ICE" agents, and began forcefully ramming his pickup truck into the government vehicle parked behind him. A federal officer fired his service weapon at Nino-Mercado during the attack, resulting in both occupants sustaining gunshot wounds.
The federal vehicle was deemed a total loss. Photo courtesy: DOJ
The illegal alien gang associates fled the scene and were later apprehended. Both of them survived their injuries.
Nino-Mercado admitted during Monday's court hearing that he was illegally residing in the US. A federal immigration judge ordered his removal in November 2024, according to court documents. He has been held in custody at the NW ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, since his arrest.
The pair had been on both local and federal law enforcement's radar before the attack.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Zambrano-Contreras is associated with a Tren de Aragua (TdA) prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland. Online records show that Zambrano-Contreras has been listed as a prostitute on several websites. TdA is a designated foreign terrorist organization rooted in Venezuela.
According to an FBI affidavit, Zambrano-Contreras was detained along with Nino-Moncada during an August 2025 prostitution sting in Portland. During a police interview, she reportedly admitted to being involved in a July 2025 shooting in Portland and listed several key players the pair had been working with, identifying them as Tren de Aragua gang members.
Shortly after their apprehension in January, Zambrano-Contreras was offered a plea agreement that allowed her to plead guilty to a 2023 illegal entry. She was sentenced to one year of supervised probation with GPS monitoring.
However, Zambrano-Contreras was arrested again in May for violating probation conditions. During court proceedings, she admitted to violating her court-ordered 9 pm curfew 20 to 30 times, returning home late or leaving in the middle of the night, federal prosecutors said.
A federal judge allowed her release but warned that she will remain in jail if conditions are violated again.
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