On Sunday, the Justice Department said that Luis Nino-Moncada, a man from the Portland area who is an undocumented immigrant and a known member of Tren de Aragua, had been charged with hitting a federal law enforcement vehicle violently during an immigration enforcement operation.
Prosecutors charged Nino-Moncada with aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property in excess of $1,000, the Justice Department said. He was scheduled to make an initial court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the administration would respond forcefully to attacks on law enforcement, calling the case “a tragedy” and arguing that the suspect should not have been in the country.
The criminal complaint alleged Border Patrol agents initiated a targeted operation involving a vehicle they believed was connected to a woman suspected of involvement in a Tren de Aragua-linked prostitution ring. The woman was seated in the passenger seat at the time, according to the complaint.
After agents ordered Nino-Moncada to exit, investigators alleged that he put the vehicle in reverse and collided with an unoccupied Border Patrol vehicle with enough speed to cause significant damage. He then drove forward and backward multiple times, repeatedly striking the Border Patrol vehicle as agents feared the vehicle could hit them, said in the complaint.
Authorities said Nino-Moncada and the passenger fled the scene in the vehicle.
The complaint describes extensive damage of the vehicle, which included a torn front bumper, destroyed headlights, and dents to multiple panels and doors.
In a post-incident interview cited in the release, Nino-Moncada admitted that he rammed the Border Patrol vehicle intentionally to escape and said he knew it was an immigration enforcement vehicle, according to the Justice Department.
Officials also said Nino-Moncada is in the United States illegally and was previously ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2024.
