Videos show US citizen’s shooting death in Texas last year by federal immigration agent

Videos Challenge DHS Account of Fatal Shooting by Immigration Agent in Texas

Newly released footage of a fatal shooting by a federal immigration agent in Texas last year contradicts Department of Homeland Security claims that the victim intentionally rammed an agent with his car before being killed.

The videos, including body camera footage, provide the first visual documentation of the shooting of 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez during a beach trip in March 2025. The footage was released Friday following public records requests from The Associated Press and other news outlets.

Martinez’s death represents the earliest of at least six fatal shootings by federal agents since President Donald Trump initiated a nationwide immigration enforcement crackdown in his second term. It joins several cases where video evidence has undermined the administration’s initial explanations.

The Texas Rangers recently closed their investigation after a grand jury declined to file criminal charges against Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agent Jack Stevens, who fired the fatal shots, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records.

In his written statement, Stevens claimed he fired to protect fellow agents, police officers, and the public from what he feared might be a terrorist attack. Last month, a DHS spokesperson stated that the agent fired defensive shots after the driver “intentionally ran over” a fellow agent, “resulting in him being on the hood of the vehicle.”

However, the newly released body camera videos, taken from behind Martinez’s car, do not clearly show the vehicle striking an agent.

Joshua Orta, who was riding in the car with Martinez, told investigators that his friend had not intended to harm federal officers but had “panicked” because he feared getting arrested for driving while intoxicated. “He didn’t know what to do. Like he definitely didn’t want to go to jail,” Orta said. “But as far as like running over an officer… he wouldn’t do that.”

While local media initially reported the incident involved a police officer, DHS did not publicly acknowledge its agents’ involvement until after media outlets reported it last month.

The incident occurred when Martinez and Orta, who had driven from their hometown of San Antonio to South Padre Island, a popular spring break destination, encountered police officers directing traffic around a collision. Three HSI agents from a maritime border security task force, reassigned to immigration enforcement duties, were also present.

Body camera footage shows Martinez’s blue Ford sedan slowly approaching the intersection, appearing to go straight where vehicles were being directed to turn left. The car nearly comes to a complete stop for pedestrians, then slowly pulls forward before stopping again as HSI agents approach, shouting for the driver to halt.

One agent, identified as Special Agent Hector Sosa, moves in front of the car while Stevens approaches the driver’s side. As officers shout “Get him out, get him out,” the car begins slowly moving forward and turning left. Stevens, keeping pace with the vehicle, appears to lean toward the open driver’s window. As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens draws his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before backing away.

Martinez’s car quickly stops, and officers pull him and Orta from the vehicle, handcuffing both men. Martinez remains on the ground, unresponsive, for about a minute before paramedics already at the scene begin providing medical aid.

An autopsy revealed that all three shots hit Martinez, with bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and damaging his heart, lungs, liver, and other organs. His blood alcohol level was 0.12%, exceeding Texas’s legal driving limit of 0.08%.

Stevens claimed in a written statement provided nearly two months after the shooting that Martinez “accelerated forward, striking Special Agent Sosa who wound up on the hood of the vehicle.” He also stated that he narrowly avoided being run over, with the car’s driver’s side mirror breaking off after contact—though photos show the mirror damaged but still attached.

The agent cited recent events including a truck attack on New Year’s revelers in New Orleans as influencing his threat assessment. He described Martinez as having “eyes open widely, fist clenched to the steering wheel,” looking past officers in what Stevens interpreted as “pre-attack indicator” behavior.

An internal ICE investigation mentioned the agent struck by the car being treated for a knee injury and released. However, videos show this agent arresting Orta and walking without any visible limp or injury afterward.

Orta, who died in a February car accident in San Antonio, told investigators Martinez panicked after approaching the checkpoint. “That’s when he panicked and turned the wheel, and he didn’t floor the gas but we kind of went a little bit and I guess they thought he was like trying to run the cop over or something,” Orta said.

Attorneys representing Martinez’s mother said the newly released evidence shows the car was “barely moving” when Stevens fired at point-blank range. “This batch of evidence shows no justification for Ruben’s killing,” lawyers Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm stated. “Still, our pursuit of full transparency will continue until we have all the facts.”