DHS’s account of two Venezuelans shot by border patrol falls apart in court: ‘a smear campaign’

Law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Oregon. Photograph: Jenny Kane/AP

Immediately after a US border patrol agent shot two people in Oregon last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the targets were “vicious” gang members connected to a prior shooting and alleged they had “attempted to run over” officers with their vehicle.

In the weeks since, key parts of the federal government’s narrative have fallen apart.