Federal authorities say two people were injured during a shooting involving U.S. Border Patrol agents in Portland, as scrutiny intensifies over recent uses of force by federal law enforcement.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were carrying out what it described as a “targeted vehicle stop” when the incident occurred. A DHS-affiliated statement posted on X alleged that the driver attempted to strike officers with the vehicle, prompting one agent to discharge a firearm in what was described as a defensive response.
A man and a woman were transported to hospital with gunshot wounds. Officials have not released details about their conditions.
The same statement claimed the driver was believed to be affiliated with a Venezuelan criminal gang, while the passenger was allegedly connected to a prostitution operation. These claims have not been independently verified.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day urged calm, acknowledging heightened public tension following a separate fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving a federal agent. “We understand the heightened emotion and concern many people are feeling,” Day said, adding that authorities were still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the Portland incident.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson criticised federal law enforcement actions, saying the city was experiencing escalating violence involving federal agents. He warned that constitutional protections were being undermined and called for greater accountability.
The Portland shooting follows an incident one day earlier in Minneapolis, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three. Her death prompted protests in Minnesota and drew condemnation from local officials.
Federal officials, including former President Donald Trump, have said the Minneapolis shooting was an act of self-defence. Vice President JD Vance described Good as a “victim of left-wing ideology,” calling her death a tragedy while asserting that responsibility lay with her actions.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected that characterization, describing the federal government’s account of the incident as inaccurate and inflammatory.
Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
