- The claim that a group of masked men impersonating agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stopped a woman on a highway in Oregon and assaulted her in July 2026 is still under investigation.
- The rumor stems from news release from Oregon State Police. On July 25, 2026, OSP said it was investigating a report that three men posing as ICE agents in an unmarked car with temporary emergency lights and no visible license plates had detained and assaulted someone on Highway 211 in Clackamas County on July 17.
- OSP’s statement did not gender the victim, referring to this person only as “they.” Due to the fact that the case was still being investigated, we’ve left the claim unrated.
- In an email, OSP declined to provide updates on the inquiry or to confirm the victim’s gender, citing the active investigation.
In July 2026, a rumor spread that a group of masked men impersonating agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stopped a woman on a highway in Oregon and assaulted her.
Several online media posts shared the rumor, including on Instagram and Facebook. On X, a post said the impersonators were using fake gear and police lights (archived):
In addition, several news reports said someone had been forcibly pulled from their car and assaulted in the back of an unmarked car with no license plates. Snopes readers sent emails seeking to confirm the veracity of the claim.
It is true that Oregon State Police said on July 25, 2026, that it was investigating a report that, on July 17, three men impersonating ICE agents had detained and assaulted a driver in Clackamas County in Oregon. Because the case was still being investigated, we left the claim unrated.
Further, while several claims referred to the alleged victim as a woman, OSP’s statement did not gender the victim, only referring to this person as “they.”
In an email, OSP declined to provide updates on the inquiry or to confirm the victim’s gender, citing the active investigation.
OSP’s news release
In its July 25 news release, OSP said it was investigating a report that, on July 17, three masked men posing as ICE agents in an unmarked car without license plates had stopped a driver on Highway 211 in Clackamas County.
Referring to the victim only as “they,” the statement said two of the men came out of the “suspect” car, one of them carrying a rifle.
The two men reportedly proceeded to pull the victim from their car, search the person and place them in the back of their car next to the third man, who then assaulted the victim. The person was allegedly detained 15 to 20 minutes before the three men let them go.
The statement then described the three men:
The suspects were described as wearing boots, baseball caps, face coverings, and green long-sleeved shirts.They wore tactical vests displaying “POLICE” in white lettering and carried badges marked “Police.” The suspect vehicle was described as a newer model smaller SUV, blue or gray in color, with no visible license plates.
The alleged victim then went to the hospital to tend to injuries that resulted from the assault. While in the hospital, OSP said, the victim received a text message from the number 971-502-5548 offering legal representation in case the victim sought to sue the three men. OSP asked that members of the public who received calls or texts from this number contact them.
At the end of the statement, OSP included a few tips to better identify legitimate law enforcement and stay safe when pulled over, including:
- If the vehicle stopping you is not a marked unit, the emergency lights should be built in and are usually not a temporary light placed on the vehicle.
- Try to stop in a well-lit area or a location where there are a lot of people present.
- Turn on your emergency flashers, but don’t turn off your car.
- Lock your door.
For further reading, Snopes confirmed in July 2026 that ICE acquired vehicles equipped with “fake cell towers” to spy on phones.
