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Federal Agent Fatally Shoots U.S. Citizen During Immigration Operation, Documents Reveal
Newly released records reveal that 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that went undisclosed by the Department of Homeland Security for nearly a year.
The fatal shooting, which occurred on South Padre Island on March 15, 2025, marks the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the beginning of the nationwide immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump’s second term.
According to documents obtained by American Oversight, a Washington-based nonprofit watchdog group, through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the shooting involved a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team conducting an immigration enforcement operation alongside local police. The heavily redacted internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provide the first official account of federal involvement in Martinez’s death.
In a statement released Friday, DHS claimed the driver “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent,” prompting another agent to fire “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.” The department did not explain why it made no public notification about the officer-involved shooting over the past 11 months.
Rachel Reyes, Martinez’s mother, told The Associated Press her son had just turned 23 when he and his best friend drove from San Antonio to South Padre Island—a popular spring break destination near the U.S.-Mexico border—for a weekend celebration. She described her son as a “typical young guy” who worked at an Amazon warehouse, enjoyed video games, and had no previous encounters with law enforcement.
“He never really got a chance to go out and experience things. It was his first time getting to go out of town,” Reyes said. “He was a nice guy, humble guy. And he wasn’t a violent person at all.”
According to a two-page ICE incident report, HSI officers were assisting South Padre Island police by redirecting traffic through a busy intersection following a vehicle accident with multiple injuries shortly after midnight. When a blue Ford carrying Martinez and a passenger approached, officers ordered the driver to stop, though the report doesn’t specify why. After initially not responding, Martinez eventually stopped.
The report claims agents surrounded the vehicle and ordered the occupants out, but Martinez “accelerated forward” and struck an HSI agent “who wound up on the hood of the vehicle.” A supervisory special agent standing beside the car then fired multiple times through the open driver’s window, stopping the vehicle.
Paramedics already at the accident scene provided immediate medical aid. Martinez was transported to a hospital in Brownsville, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody. The HSI agent allegedly struck by the vehicle was treated for a knee injury and released.
The Texas Rangers responded to the scene and assumed lead investigative responsibilities. Reyes said she didn’t learn a federal agent had killed her son until about a week after his death, when a Rangers investigator contacted her. According to Reyes, the investigator claimed there were videos contradicting the federal agents’ account—an assertion DHS has not addressed.
Reyes was told the state investigation was completed in October and the case would be presented to a grand jury for potential criminal charges. However, the Texas Department of Public Safety stated Friday that the investigation remains “active” and declined to provide further details. The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office and South Padre Island Police did not respond to requests for comment.
The HSI agents involved were part of a maritime border enforcement security task force typically focused on combating transnational criminal organizations at seaports. Over the past year, officers from various federal agencies have been reassigned to prioritize immigration enforcement operations under the administration’s broader crackdown.
This incident follows other controversial shootings by immigration agents, including the January killing of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. In that case, officials initially characterized Good as a “domestic terrorist” before videos emerged challenging the government’s narrative.
Police use-of-force expert Geoffrey Alpert of the University of South Carolina questioned why a federal officer positioned himself in front of Martinez’s vehicle. “You don’t stand in front of the car, you don’t put yourself in harm’s way,” Alpert said, noting investigators will likely review any available footage to determine how Martinez moved the vehicle forward.
Martinez’s mother maintains her son would never intentionally assault a law enforcement officer. “They didn’t give him a chance,” Reyes said. “It’s so excessive. They could have done anything else besides that. It’s like they shoot first and ask questions later.”
Attorneys for the family said they have spent the past year seeking accountability and transparency regarding the circumstances of Martinez’s death.
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8 Comments
This is a tragic and concerning incident. I hope the details that have been released can shed more light on what exactly happened during this encounter and whether the use of lethal force was justified. It’s critical that we have thorough and transparent investigations into cases like this to understand what went wrong and prevent future loss of life.
I agree, transparency is key here. The public deserves to know the full facts surrounding this shooting, regardless of the circumstances. Hopefully the investigation will provide a clear and impartial account of the events.
While I’m troubled by the loss of life, I’m curious to learn more about the context and specifics of this incident. Were there any attempts to de-escalate the situation before lethal force was used? What were the exact actions and perceived threats that led the agent to open fire? These are important details that need to be carefully examined.
You raise a good point. The use of deadly force by law enforcement should always be an absolute last resort. Hopefully the investigation will uncover whether there were opportunities to resolve this encounter without resorting to gunfire.
As someone concerned about immigration enforcement and civil liberties, I’ll be closely following the developments in this case. The public deserves to know exactly what happened and whether the agent’s actions were justified based on the circumstances. Transparency is critical in these sensitive situations.
I agree, transparency is essential. The public needs to have confidence that law enforcement is being held accountable and that any use of deadly force is truly warranted. Hopefully the investigation will provide a clear picture of the events.
This is a complex and troubling incident. On the one hand, we need to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers conducting immigration operations. But the loss of a young man’s life is always a tragedy that deserves careful scrutiny. I hope the investigation can shed light on whether this shooting was justified or if there were opportunities to de-escalate the situation.
This is a tragic situation all around. My condolences go out to the family of Ruben Ray Martinez. While the details are still emerging, any loss of life during an encounter with law enforcement is deeply concerning and deserves a thorough, impartial investigation.