In brief
A woman shot by a Border Patrol agent in a Portland immigration operation has pleaded guilty to illegal entry into the U.S. and received a one-year probation sentence. The FBI revealed no surveillance footage of the incident, heightening discussions about the aggressive tactics used during immigration enforcement.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras, a woman shot and critically injured by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration stop in Portland, pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegal entry into the United States and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Appearing via video link from an immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, Zambrano-Contreras faced federal court proceedings in Portland. Though she avoided prison time, she is subject to location monitoring and curfews as part of her probationary requirements. This agreement allows her to stay out of custody in Oregon, according to reports from The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The case was originally registered in Texas, where Zambrano-Contreras was charged with illegal entry; she waived her right to pursue prosecution there. The incident leading to her injuries occurred on January 8, a day after another federal agent shot and killed a driver in Minneapolis, sparking multiple protests against the Border Patrol’s enforcement practices.
The FBI confirmed in a court filing that no surveillance or video evidence was available from the shooting incident in which Zambrano-Contreras and another individual, Luis Nino-Moncada, sustained injuries while sitting in a truck in a parking lot of a medical complex.
The shooting allegedly took place after Nino-Moncada reversed the truck into a rented vehicle used by Border Patrol agents, causing significant damage. Fearing for his safety as the vehicle collided with him, the agent discharged his firearm twice.
Nino-Moncada has been indicted on allegations of aggravated assault against a federal employee and damage to federal property, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His jury trial is scheduled for March.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, both Zambrano-Contreras and Nino-Moncada entered the U.S. illegally; the former in 2023 and the latter in 2022. They and their alleged connections to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have come under investigation by the local police.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day noted that the two were identified during inquiries into a July shooting purportedly linked to the gang. While they weren't identified as active suspects in that incident, previous arrests have uncovered a history involving Zambrano-Contreras and prostitution.
In the latest ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman has also mandated that Zambrano-Contreras avoid areas where prostitution is prevalent, in line with her sentencing requirements.
