WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Newly released records show that a U.S. citizen was shot and killed in Texas last year by a federal immigration agent during a late-night traffic encounter. The Department of Homeland Security did not publicly disclose the officer-involved shooting at the time.
The death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez marks one of at least six deadly shootings involving federal officers since the start of a nationwide immigration crackdown during President Donald Trump’s second term. The case has raised new questions about transparency, use of force, and federal immigration enforcement operations.
Internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement show that agents from Homeland Security Investigations, known as HSI, were present at the scene on March 15, 2025. The records surfaced through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Washington.
Local media reported Martinez’s death last year. However, federal and state officials did not disclose that HSI agents were involved in the shooting on South Padre Island. On Friday, DHS said the driver “intentionally ran over” an HSI special agent. The department said another agent fired “defensive shots” to protect himself and others. DHS did not explain why it failed to issue a media release or public notice about the shooting over the past 11 months.
According to a two-page ICE incident report, HSI officers assisted South Padre Island police with traffic control after a crash with several injuries. Shortly after midnight, a blue four-door Ford approached a busy intersection. Agents ordered the driver to stop. The report does not state why officers stopped the vehicle. The driver initially did not respond, but later stopped.
Agents surrounded the car and told the driver and passenger to exit. The report states that the driver then accelerated forward and struck an HSI special agent, who landed on the hood. A supervisory special agent standing beside the car fired multiple shots through the open driver’s side window. The vehicle then stopped.
Paramedics who were already at the accident scene treated the driver. They transported him to a hospital in Brownsville, where doctors pronounced him dead. The passenger, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody. Authorities later released him. The injured HSI agent received treatment for a knee injury and left the hospital the same day. ICE redacted the names of the agents and the men in the car. Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, confirmed that her son was the driver. She said he suffered three gunshot wounds.
Reyes said her son had just turned 23. He worked at an Amazon warehouse in San Antonio. He traveled to South Padre Island with his best friend to celebrate his birthday and spring break.
“He was a typical young guy,” Reyes told The Associated Press. “He wasn’t a violent person at all.”
Reyes said a Texas Rangers investigator contacted her about a week after the shooting. She said the investigator told her that video footage contradicted the federal agents’ account. DHS did not respond to questions about the claim of video evidence.
The Texas Rangers took the lead in the investigation. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the case remains active. Officials declined to share more details. Authorities plan to present the case to a grand jury. Attorneys for the family, Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm, said they have pushed for transparency for nearly a year. They questioned why HSI agents were present at a local traffic accident scene and why an agent fired at a U.S. citizen.
HSI agents involved in the shooting belonged to a maritime border enforcement security task force. These teams usually target transnational criminal organizations at seaports. Over the past year, federal agencies have reassigned officers to focus on immigration enforcement.
The Martinez case follows other deadly encounters tied to federal immigration operations. In January, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis, died after an ICE officer shot her during a traffic stop. Officials initially labeled her a threat. Later videos raised doubts about that account.
Use-of-force experts have questioned the tactics described in Martinez’s case. Geoffrey Alpert, a police training expert at the University of South Carolina, said officers should avoid standing in front of moving vehicles.
“You don’t put yourself in harm’s way,” Alpert said. He added that investigators will likely review body camera footage and other video to determine how the vehicle moved and whether the force used was justified. Reyes said she does not believe her son intended to harm anyone.
“They didn’t give him a chance,” she said. “It’s so excessive.”
The case has intensified debate over federal immigration agents’ use-of-force policies and transparency in officer-involved shootings. As investigations continue, Martinez’s family says it wants answers and accountability.
