PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 12, 2026) — The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced criminal charges against Luis Nino-Moncada, an undocumented immigrant and alleged associate of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, accused of violently striking a federal law enforcement vehicle during a targeted enforcement operation in the Portland area.
Federal authorities allege Nino-Moncada repeatedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle, placing agents in danger and causing extensive damage to federal property. Officials said Nino-Moncada is in the United States illegally and had previously been ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2024.
“Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “This man — an illegal alien with ties to a foreign terrorist organization — should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again.”
Nino-Moncada has been charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property in excess of $1,000. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court at 1:30 p.m. PST.
According to the criminal complaint, Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted immigration enforcement operation involving a vehicle believed to belong 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 of the operation. Authorities said she had previously been arrested by Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas, and later failed to report to immigration authorities. Law enforcement reports also indicate she is believed to have been involved in a shooting related to a dispute over a prostitution deal.
When agents ordered Nino-Moncada to exit the vehicle, he allegedly put the vehicle into reverse and collided with an unoccupied Border Patrol vehicle with enough force to cause significant damage. Investigators say he then shifted between forward and reverse multiple times, repeatedly striking the federal vehicle.
A Border Patrol agent later told FBI special agents they feared Nino-Moncada could strike them or other agents with the vehicle during the incident. After the alleged assault, Nino-Moncada and the female passenger fled the scene in the vehicle.
Authorities reported extensive damage to the Border Patrol vehicle, including a torn-off front bumper, destroyed headlights, damage to the front driver-side quarter panel and detached fender liner, as well as dents to the driver-side rear passenger door and quarter panel.
In a post-incident interview, investigators said Nino-Moncada admitted to intentionally ramming the Border Patrol vehicle in an effort to escape and acknowledged that he knew the vehicle belonged to immigration enforcement.
All suspects are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
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