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Key Witness in Fatal Immigration Agent Shooting Dies in Car Crash
The sole eyewitness to a fatal shooting involving a federal immigration agent has died in a car crash, complicating an investigation into a case that contradicts the government’s official account of the incident.
Joshua Orta, who was riding with Ruben Ray Martinez when Martinez was shot and killed by a Homeland Security Investigations agent last March, died Saturday in a fiery car accident in San Antonio, according to lawyers representing Martinez’s family.
Before his death, Orta had provided a detailed statement to attorneys that directly challenged the Department of Homeland Security’s version of events. In a statement released Friday, DHS claimed Martinez “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.”
Orta’s account, however, painted a dramatically different picture of what transpired. According to a draft affidavit prepared after interviews in September, Orta stated that Martinez never hit an officer with his vehicle. He described their car as “just crawling as we were trying to turn around” when a federal agent fired into the driver’s side window from about two feet away without “giving any warning, commands, or opportunity to comply.”
The shooting occurred during a Spring Break trip when Martinez and Orta encountered local police and federal agents directing traffic around an accident at a busy intersection. Orta stated that after a local officer instructed them to turn around due to an open alcohol container in their vehicle, another officer approached their slowly moving car, slapped the hood, and “seemed to be trying to get in front of the car.”
Orta emphatically stated that Martinez “did not hit anyone” before officers surrounded their vehicle with drawn weapons. He recounted how an agent standing by Martinez’s open driver’s side window fired without warning, so close that bullet casings landed inside the car.
The witness described hearing Martinez say “I’m sorry” before falling unconscious from a chest wound. Orta claimed agents then pulled Martinez from the vehicle, handcuffed him, and waited at least 10 minutes before providing medical aid.
Rachel Reyes, Martinez’s mother, previously told the Associated Press that her son was shot three times. She also indicated that a Texas Rangers investigator had obtained videos of the shooting that contradict DHS’s claims about her son trying to run over an agent.
“First and foremost, Joshua’s death is an awful tragedy for his family and friends,” said Alex Stamm, an attorney representing Martinez’s family. “In terms of Ruben’s death, the world has also now lost a critical eyewitness.”
When contacted for comment, DHS responded: “We stand by our original statement.”
Martinez’s death represents at least the sixth fatal shooting by federal officers amid President Trump’s nationwide immigration enforcement efforts. Notably, DHS made no public disclosure for 11 months that one of its agents had been involved in the shooting.
The incident bears striking similarities to the January killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother who was shot in her SUV by an ICE officer. Trump administration officials initially characterized Good as a “domestic terrorist” who attempted to ram officers with her vehicle before multiple videos emerged casting doubt on the government’s narrative.
Law enforcement protocols typically discourage officers from positioning themselves in front of vehicles due to safety concerns. Like Good, Martinez had no criminal record.
According to an internal Immigration and Customs Law Enforcement report released after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the HSI agents involved in Martinez’s shooting were part of a maritime border enforcement security task force normally focused on combating transnational criminal organizations at seaports. Over the past year, officers from various federal agencies have been reassigned to prioritize immigration enforcement.
The Texas Rangers confirmed they are investigating the Martinez shooting but did not respond to questions about whether they had interviewed Orta before his death. Martinez’s family is reportedly preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
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8 Comments
This case highlights the importance of independent oversight and the need to question official narratives, especially when they contradict eyewitness accounts. The public deserves the full truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
The death of the key eyewitness is deeply concerning. Without his testimony, it may be more challenging to get an accurate picture of what actually happened. Transparency and a thorough, impartial investigation are essential.
Agreed. The credibility of the official account is now in question, and the loss of this witness is a major setback. Rigorous scrutiny of all evidence is needed to determine the facts.
Tragic that the eyewitness has now also passed away in an accident. I hope the investigation can still uncover the truth, but the loss of this key testimony is deeply concerning. Transparency and accountability are critical in these types of cases.
The death of the eyewitness is extremely troubling and raises serious questions. Without his testimony, it will be much harder to determine what actually happened. A thorough, impartial investigation is crucial to reveal the facts.
This is a tragic situation. I hope the investigation can uncover the full truth, regardless of the government’s initial claims. It’s critical that eyewitness accounts are thoroughly examined.
This is a very distressing development. The eyewitness account could have provided critical information to challenge the official narrative. His untimely death is a major setback, and I hope the investigation can still uncover the truth.
The loss of this key eyewitness is deeply concerning. His account could have shed important light on the incident, and now that he has passed away, the public may never know the full truth. Rigorous scrutiny is essential.