Citizen journalist covering the PNW.
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BREAKING — Exclusive federal complaint details UPTD compliance dispute
An exclusive document obtained after publication of the investigation below reveals the full complaint behind a request for a federal investigation into ODOT and its contractor, RLS & Associates.
The February 9, 2026 letter, sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s OIG and the FTA, alleges the 2025 UPTD compliance review conducted by RLS for ODOT relied on incomplete information, misapplied federal rules, and imposed findings on actions previously cleared.
The complaint raises concerns about ODOT’s role in shaping findings, its involvement in local decision-making, and whether the contractor’s conclusions reflected independent analysis.
It also disputes claims of fraud or improper lobbying and questions how the compliance report circulated before its formal release.
The existence of the investigation request was previously reported. This document provides the most detailed account to date of the allegations behind it.
Federal officials say they can neither confirm nor deny whether an investigation is underway.
The following emails show internal ODOT communications in October-November 2025 regarding Representative Ed Diehl’s request for access to the UPTD compliance review.
Contact information has been redacted where clearly identifiable. Some institutional email addresses are shown where no individual is directly identified.
EXCLUSIVE — Police report delay raises questions after suspect in two East Portland assaults released from custody
A set of Portland police reports describing two assaults in East Portland took more than three months to obtain through a public records request, a delay that raises questions about how crimes intersecting with immigration policy are handled and reviewed before release.
The suspect identified in the reports is Santos Thomas Puerto Rios, 24. Officers wrote that he was identified using a passport found on his person, and police records list Honduras as his place of birth.
The records describe two separate assaults on the morning of November 25, 2025 along SE 122nd Avenue in East Portland.
In one incident, a man standing at a bus stop told officers that Puerto Rios approached him, looked at him twice, and then struck him in the face without warning. The victim required a friend to translate during the encounter with police.
Investigators later connected the same suspect to a second assault earlier that morning involving a 69 year old woman. According to the report, this victim was taking out garbage from her residence when a man approached her, said “Hi,” and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
The victim initially did not want to pursue a police report. According to public documents, her family later obtained power of attorney and contacted police so charges could be pursued on her behalf.
Records released to oceanplot also show the suspect was assigned both a federal and state criminal identification number, including an FBI identifier, both of which were redacted in the released documents. Those identifiers are used in national fingerprint databases that track individuals across law enforcement systems.
The time it took for the report to be released is notable, as other routine police report requests are typically processed quickly. These records were not produced for more than three months, even after repeated attempts to resolve the request in writing. In the time between, Puerto Rios proceeded through the court system without the public having access to the underlying police reports describing the assaults.
Taken together, the delay and the purported crimes illustrate a broader fault line that has emerged in the national immigration debate.
President Trump has recently pivoted to argue that immigration enforcement should focus primarily on removing illegal immigrants who commit crimes. At the same time, cities such as Portland have adopted sanctuary policies that block local police from sharing immigration status information or cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, including when someone is arrested or released.
In practice, this leaves cases like the one described in these reports in a gray area. A suspect may be identified through foreign documents or statements about place of origin, while local authorities remain restricted from confirming immigration status or coordinating with federal immigration authorities.
Court records show Puerto Rios pled not guilty but was later found unfit to proceed in the criminal case and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. A court notice indicates he was released from custody on February 20, 2026 while the evaluation process continues.
The result for Portland is a system in which violent incidents are investigated locally while immigration questions remain largely outside the public record. In this case, a suspect accused of two unprovoked assaults, including against a vulnerable individual, moved through the competency process and was ultimately released from custody while the broader immigration questions surrounding the case remain unresolved.
EXCLUSIVE — A disabled mother in Portland says she couldn’t access housing unless she claimed to be an addict. So she lied to enter a wet building.
Since 2019, records show 400+ police reports tied to the building, roughly one every six days.
Read the full investigation below.
WATCH — Join now on YouTube for the premiere of my investigative interview “Housing First, Seven Years Later.”
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EXCLUSIVE — Join me in one hour for the premiere of my in-depth interview with the resident featured in this investigative report.
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Join me Thursday at 5PM PST for the premiere of my in-depth interview, “Housing First, Seven Years Later.”
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NEW — Track AIPAC, a group that tracks pro-Israel lobbying and campaign spending, has endorsed Jessica Salas over incumbent Rep. Maxine Dexter in the May Democratic primary for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District.
@TrackAIPAC says Dexter (@RepDexterOR) has received $607,085 in independent expenditures and campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying sources, citing federal campaign finance records.
Salas (@jsalfororegon) is mounting a progressive primary challenge as Dexter seeks to defend her first term representing the Portland area seat.
Salas has previously centered direct action against ICE in her campaign, donning a gas mask and protesting at the ICE facility in Portland.
🚨 BREAKING — A Democratic Socialists of America challenger in Portland is foregrounding direct action against ICE as a central theme of her campaign in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, drawing a sharp contrast with incumbent Rep. Maxine Dexter ahead of the May 19 primary.
In a campaign video released by Jessica Salas, footage shows her participating in protest activity at the ICE facility in Portland as part of what she describes as “standing on the front lines with the people most impacted.”
In accompanying statements, she frames her presence as a necessary extension of representation, arguing that candidates should experience the conditions faced by the communities they seek to serve.
Salas has called for the abolition of ICE and describes her campaign as rooted in grassroots organizing and rapid response to immigration enforcement. She has also criticized what she characterizes as “dark money” from establishment and AIPAC funding of Maxine Dexter, positioning her run as an effort to give voters in District 3 a clear alternative within the Democratic primary.
Dexter, who represents the district in Congress, has taken a different approach to immigration enforcement and protest politics. While calling for ICE to leave Portland and for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Dexter has emphasized policy outcomes through legislative channels rather than direct action at enforcement sites.
In a statement outlining her governing philosophy, Dexter said:
“There is no time to waste. The people of Oregon’s Third District deserve a representative who doesn’t just listen to their concerns—but turns concerns into action. I’m grateful that every single day, I get to wake up and do just that. With your continued support, we will continue not just fighting back against Trump’s lawlessness, but lowering the cost of living, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and combatting the climate crisis.”
The contrast sets up a clear ideological and tactical divide within a district widely viewed as safe for Democrats in the general election.
With no serious GOP challenge expected, the primary is likely to hinge on whether voters endorse institutional advocacy or the challenger’s emphasis on direct action and abolitionist politics.
As the race moves toward May, both campaigns are framing the contest as a referendum not only on policy goals, but on what forms of political action are appropriate for those seeking federal office.
UPDATE — New footage confirms reporter identity in political violence allegation at January 24 protest
Newly reviewed footage recorded by oceanplot confirms that the statement heard in earlier reporting — “That man in the blue shirt just hit Tommy” — was in fact made by KATU reporter Jennifer Singh (@jennifersinghtv) in reference to Thomas Allen (@Tommy4Trump420).
In the new footage, Singh can be seen pointing towards Allen before looking toward the camera at the moment the statement is made, confirming the speaker’s identity.
The original reporting is linked below.
EXCLUSIVE — Video captures disputed statement during January 24 ICE protest
Video recorded during a January 24 protest captures a moment that raises questions about how allegations of political violence are documented on scene and later characterized in local news reporting.
In raw, unedited video recorded at Elizabeth Caruthers Park, a background voice can be heard saying, “The guy in the blue shirt punched Tommy.” The statement is partially obscured by crowd noise but remains audible in the footage. The voice appears to belong to Jennifer Singh (@jennifersinghtv), a reporter for KATU who joined the station last fall and was present at the scene.
The statement appears to reference Thomas Allen (@Tommy4Trump420), a counter-protester whom oceanplot recorded being followed by a dozen or more people for much of the protest as it moved through the park.
Read in context, the background statement alleges that Allen was struck by another individual. Video from the same period shows Allen being closely trailed by members of the crowd, as well as a man wearing a blue shirt running aggressively toward him. The footage does not independently confirm that Allen was struck.
In subsequent reporting attributed to Singh, the incident was characterized differently. KATU reported that “crews also observed a counter-protester identified as Thomas Allen pepper spraying at least three protesters, who seemingly attempted to keep him away from the rally,” and noted that Allen “was arrested by Portland Police in the past during other anti-ICE protests.” The report did not reference an allegation that Allen was struck and instead presented Allen primarily as the source of violence.
Allegations of violence at political protests carry significant weight, particularly in a charged national climate where such claims can shape public perception and justify escalation. When on-scene statements are captured on video but later framed differently in broadcast reporting, questions arise about how real-time observations are translated into definitive public narratives.
Accurate and complete characterization of these moments is critical to maintaining public trust and ensuring that claims of political violence are reported with appropriate context and care.
oceanplot contacted Jennifer Singh for comment regarding the discrepancy between the statement captured on video and her subsequent reporting. She did not respond by publication time.
