Rep. Janelle Bynum on the Border Patrol shooting in Portland
Janelle BynumU.S. Representative for Oregon's 5th congressional district
Rep. Janelle Bynum called the shooting state-sponsored terrorism and said it was not law enforcement. She said it was the second shooting that week by agents following the orders of a "wannabe dictator," and that she wants the agents gone.
“This isn’t law enforcement, it’s state-sponsored terrorism Stop fucking with us. This is the second shooting this week by agents following the orders of a wannabe dictator who is trying to take over cities and rule by instilling terror in the hearts of American people. When the President deployed his guardsmen to our city earlier this year, we told him their presence was unwelcome and unhelpful. Today, we saw just how dangerous this is – we need these goons gone. Get to steppin’.”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was a Border Patrol agent justified in shooting Luis David Niño-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras in Portland?
On January 8, 2026, at about 2:15 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent shot and wounded Luis David Niño-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras, both Venezuelan nationals, in the parking lot of an Adventist Health clinic in Portland, Oregon's Hazelwood neighborhood, during a vehicle stop conducted by a team of Border Patrol agents. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agent fired in self-defense after the driver, Niño-Moncada, 'weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents'; agents said he repeatedly reversed and drove his truck into an unoccupied rental vehicle used by the agents. Initial reporting described the pair as unarmed. DHS also alleged the two had ties to the Tren de Aragua gang and, in Zambrano-Contreras's case, a prostitution ring; Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the gang information did not draw a 'throughline' to the shooting itself. The FBI opened an investigation and initially reported finding no video of the shooting; Oregon's Department of Justice separately opened an investigation. The shooting prompted protests in Portland, including at least six arrests. Niño-Moncada was charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer and damaging federal property; Zambrano-Contreras was charged with improper entry by an alien and pleaded guilty within days, receiving probation. In February 2026, a nearby treatment center released surveillance video that offered a partial view of the incident. In July 2026, federal prosecutors disclaimed the gang-membership allegation and dropped the assault charge, and Niño-Moncada pleaded guilty to the lesser property-damage charge; he was sentenced in September 2026 to time served and ordered deported. Court filings unsealed in September 2026 also disclosed that a Portland police officer's body camera captured a Border Patrol agent attempting to remove an unfired bullet from the scene before being stopped.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Press release from Rep. Janelle Bynum's congressional office, dated January 8, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Portland Tribune report on the shooting that collects statements from local, state and federal officials.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Bynum's office issued the statement on January 8, 2026, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents shot two people in Portland. One day earlier an ICE officer had shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis.
After the quotation
The Portland Tribune reported that officials said the FBI would lead the investigation. The Department of Homeland Security said the driver had tried to run over the agents and that an agent fired defensive shots.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether the Border Patrol agent was justified in shooting the two people. Bynum called the shooting state-sponsored terrorism, said it was not law enforcement, and said the agents needed to be gone. She rejected the agents' conduct outright, so we used the label Condemned.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
More from this case
Read the full caseU.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon says an officer fired only after the truck hit a government car twice
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon
“As part of his plea agreement, Nino-Moncada admitted that his conduct placed others at risk of serious bodily injury and that he was conscious of or recklessly disregarded that risk. It was only after defendant struck the government car twice, within just a few feet of the officers’ positions, and with one officer in the path of the truck, that a government officer fired two shots at defendant.”Read statement
Federal prosecutors say the agent's decision to shoot was reasonable
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon
“supports that the shooting officer’s reaction in shooting after the Tacoma nearly ran him over was reasonable in the face of such danger occurring within those brief seconds.”Read statement
Federal defender says the agent likely fired to stop the truck from fleeing, not in self-defense
“was not in position to be hit by the truck; he likely fired to prevent the truck from fleeing rather than in self-defense.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Rep. Janelle Bynum on the Border Patrol shooting in Portland
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/3441-rep-janelle-bynum-called-the-shooting-state-sponsored
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Rep. Janelle Bynum on the Border Patrol shooting in Portland". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3441-rep-janelle-bynum-called-the-shooting-state-sponsored