The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday (January 12th) that a Venezuelan man has been charged with attacking federal law enforcement officers in Portland, Oregon last week.
On January 8th, the man was shot by border patrol agents during the attack.
According to the Department of Justice, Luis Nino-Moncada is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, facing charges of assaulting federal officers and damaging federal property. He is accused of repeatedly ramming his car into vehicles belonging to federal agents.
The man was shot in the arm and is currently detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He has connections to the Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua” and was illegally staying in the United States.
The Department of Justice stated that border patrol agents determined Nino-Moncada “was planning to drive his vehicle into them and other border patrol agents,” leading them to open fire on Nino-Moncada and a woman in the car.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously stated that Nino-Moncada had “weaponized his vehicle.”
DHS also confirmed that the woman in the car is Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, who is also illegally residing in the U.S. and was shot in the chest.
She is accused by the Department of Justice of having ties to Venezuelan gangs, engaging in prostitution, and being involved in a previous shooting incident in Portland.
After the shooting, the two individuals fled the scene in a car, driving approximately two miles northeast before calling for medical assistance. On January 11th, they were arrested by FBI agents at the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.
In the latest update, a judge ordered on Monday that both individuals remain in custody without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, during which defense lawyers will seek to present arguments for bail or legal defense.
(This article references reporting from Reuters)