Federal and state officials continue to face mounting scrutiny following the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen who was killed by a federal immigration agent on March 15, 2025, in South Padre Island, Texas.
The case has drawn renewed national attention after internal records revealed that the involvement of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not publicly disclosed at the time of the incident.
According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the watchdog group American Oversight, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), were assisting the South Padre Island Police Department with traffic control following a serious vehicle crash shortly after midnight.
The internal report states that a blue four-door Ford approached the controlled area and was instructed to stop by officers on scene.
ICE’s account indicates that the driver, later identified as Ruben Ray Martinez of San Antonio, initially slowed but did not comply with orders to exit the vehicle.
Agents reportedly surrounded the car, and authorities claim Martinez then accelerated, striking an HSI special agent who landed on the hood.
An HSI supervisory special agent then discharged multiple rounds through the driver’s side window.
Martinez was transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, where he was pronounced deceased. The agent who was allegedly struck was treated for a knee injury and later released.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in a statement that the agent fired what it described as defensive shots to protect himself, fellow agents, and the public.
DHS also stated that the case remains under active investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division.
Christopher Olivarez, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, has confirmed that the Texas Rangers are leading the investigation but said no additional details are available at this time.
Randy Smith, City Manager of South Padre Island, previously stated that officers from the South Padre Island Police Department did not discharge their weapons during the incident.
Special Agent Carmen Portillo of the FBI’s San Antonio field office confirmed that the FBI is not involved in the investigation.
The case has sparked political reaction beyond Texas. California Governor Gavin Newsom, through his Deputy Director of Communications Diana Crofts-Pelayo, expressed concern over what she described as a nearly year-long delay in disclosing federal involvement in the shooting.
Crofts-Pelayo stated that transparency and accountability are critical when deadly force is used and said Americans deserve timely disclosure and oversight.
The incident has also drawn attention from Texas lawmakers, including State Representative Gina Hinojosa and State Senator Roland Gutierrez, who have publicly called for greater transparency and the release of body camera and dash camera footage.
Both have raised concerns about public trust and accountability in federal immigration enforcement operations.
Ruben Ray Martinez’s family has previously described him as a young man who was visiting South Padre Island at the time of the incident. The ICE internal report did not publicly name the agents involved. Authorities have not indicated when additional findings from the Texas Rangers’ investigation will be released.
As of the latest updates, the investigation remains ongoing. No additional charges or disciplinary actions have been announced, and officials have not confirmed whether body camera footage exists or will be made public.
