FBI Uncovers Video Of Portland Border Patrol Shooting

Federal authorities have revealed that the FBI has secured video evidence showing partial views of a contentious Border Patrol shooting that took place outside a Portland medical clinic earlier this month, upending earlier claims that no such footage existed. The incident, which unfolded on January 8, 2026, around 2 p.m., involved a targeted traffic stop by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the parking lot of Adventist Health Primary Care in East Portland. What began as a routine immigration operation quickly escalated into violence, leaving two people wounded and raising questions about transparency and law enforcement accountability.

According to OPB and The Oregonian, the FBI initially reported that there was no body camera or surveillance footage capturing the shooting. Special Agent Daniel Jeffreys wrote in a criminal complaint on January 10, “There is no body worn camera footage from the involved six Border Patrol Agents. Investigators have scoured the area and social media in an effort to find surveillance footage, but to no avail. The fixed surveillance cameras in the area of this parking lot, according to the business, did not capture footage of this event.” Despite the initial dead ends, the search for evidence did not stop there.

The operation centered around Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras, who was attending a doctor’s appointment and was the passenger in a red Toyota Tacoma driven by Luis Nino-Moncada. As immigration officers approached, Nino-Moncada attempted to flee, triggering a chain of events that ended in gunfire. Federal prosecutors allege that Nino-Moncada rammed an empty Border Patrol rental car with his truck while trying to escape, prompting one agent to fire twice into the driver’s window. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Edmonds, “The front right end of the truck struck the agent in the chest moments earlier as Nino-Moncada turned the wheel to try to get away.”

Both Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras were shot and hospitalized before being taken into custody. Nino-Moncada sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm, while Zambrano-Contreras was shot in the chest. The federal government charged Zambrano-Contreras with a misdemeanor for illegally entering the United States more than two years ago; she later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation. As of Wednesday, she remained in custody at the Northwest Immigration Processing Center in Tacoma. Nino-Moncada, meanwhile, faces a two-count indictment for aggravated assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In the immediate aftermath, the FBI launched what Edmonds described as “an extensive investigation” to locate any video documentation of the incident. On January 11, agents reached out to businesses near the Adventist Health facility, including Fora Health, a treatment and recovery center directly north of the parking lot where the shooting occurred. “The conclusion drawn by agents who inquired of Fora Health’s security department that day was negative as to the existence of relevant video footage,” Edmonds stated in a court filing. Nonetheless, the FBI persisted in its efforts.

On January 20, the FBI served a subpoena to Fora Health for security camera footage. Four videos were delivered to agents on January 26, according to Edmonds. Using technology to zoom in and enlarge the view, agents discovered that the footage provided “partial views of the incident.” This new evidence was promptly shared with federal prosecutors, who in turn notified defense attorneys representing Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras. Edmonds wrote, “Video footage obtained gave partial views of the incident.”

The sudden emergence of this video evidence came just hours after U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut signed subpoenas sought by Nino-Moncada’s lawyers. The defense team requested all videos from Fora Health, any body camera footage from private security officers at Adventist Health, body camera footage from Portland police who responded to the shooting, and any surveillance videos from fixed cameras at the medical building. The defense cited a federal criminal procedural rule that allows court-ordered subpoenas for relevant and admissible material from third parties before trial, provided the request is not a “fishing expedition.”

Federal prosecutors acknowledged that the FBI had “scoured area businesses for any video footage immediately after the shooting.” Yet, the initial inquiries to Fora Health had turned up nothing, a point of contention now that partial footage has surfaced. The defense attorneys, for their part, have also subpoenaed video, audio, and records from Allied Security, Adventist Health, and Portland Police Bureau officers who wear body cameras, in a bid to piece together a comprehensive account of what transpired.

The details of the shooting itself remain under close scrutiny. According to court documents cited by The Oregonian, six Border Patrol agents had cornered the red Toyota Tacoma in the parking lot. As Nino-Moncada tried to escape, his vehicle struck a Border Patrol agent in the chest, after which the agent fired into the truck. The government maintains that both Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras were in the United States unlawfully, a fact that has added a layer of complexity and controversy to the case.

The lack of body camera footage from the involved Border Patrol agents has fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability in federal law enforcement operations. The episode highlights the patchwork nature of surveillance and recording practices among different agencies and private security forces, particularly in high-stakes encounters. The partial video from Fora Health, while not providing a complete picture, represents a significant development in the ongoing investigation and in the legal proceedings that will follow.

It remains to be seen how the new evidence will shape the outcome for Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras. The videos, now in the hands of both prosecutors and defense attorneys, are expected to play a pivotal role in upcoming court hearings. Meanwhile, the incident has prompted renewed debate in Portland and beyond about the protocols governing federal immigration enforcement and the use of force during such operations.

As the legal process unfolds, all eyes are on the courts to determine how this partial footage will influence the pursuit of justice for everyone involved. For now, the city waits for answers—and for a more complete picture of what really happened that January afternoon outside Adventist Health.