The federal agent who shot and killed 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen from San Antonio, Texas, during a traffic incident on South Padre Island last year has been identified in newly released public records as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agent Jack Stevens, an investigator with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A Cameron County grand jury voted this week not to indict Agent Jack Stevens in connection with the March 15, 2025 shooting after reviewing evidence presented by prosecutors.
The decision follows months of scrutiny surrounding the case, which was not publicly disclosed as involving ICE until nearly a year after the incident.
According to police reports obtained through a public information request, HSI agents were assisting local authorities with traffic control near the 2300 block of Padre Boulevard following a separate crash involving multiple injuries.
Law enforcement documentation states that Ruben Ray Martinez drove into a restricted area and did not comply with verbal commands to stop.
The South Padre Island Police Department report indicates that Martinez’s vehicle slowed briefly before accelerating forward.
Authorities say HSI Agent Hector Sosa was struck and landed on the hood of the vehicle.
The same report identifies Agent Jack Stevens as the officer who discharged three rounds toward the driver’s side window. Martinez was later transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, where he was pronounced deceased at 1:27 a.m.
An autopsy report reviewed by media outlets documented seven gunshot wounds caused by three bullets, with injuries to major organs including the heart and lungs.
Toxicology findings indicated that Martinez’s blood-alcohol concentration was 0.124 percent, above Texas’ legal driving limit. The report also noted the presence of marijuana, including active THC, and alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax.
The Department of Homeland Security, through Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis, requested that the name of the agent not be publicized, citing what she described as an increase in threats against federal officers.
However, under Texas public records law, the names of officers involved in official police reports are generally accessible unless specifically exempted.
The case has drawn renewed attention in the broader national debate over federal immigration enforcement and use-of-force policies.
Martinez’s death was one of several high-profile fatal encounters involving federal agents during President Donald Trump’s second term, which included separate incidents in Minneapolis involving Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
Attorneys representing Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, have questioned the federal account of events.
Family attorney Butch Hayes stated that the initial officer who directed Martinez to turn around appeared to perceive no immediate threat.
Hayes also emphasized that Martinez was not stopped on suspicion of intoxication prior to the shooting.
The family is calling for the Texas Department of Public Safety to release the full findings of its ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for the department previously confirmed that the inquiry remains active.
Complicating the case further, the sole passenger in Martinez’s vehicle that night, Joshua Orta, died in a separate car crash on February 21, 2026.
Orta had reportedly prepared a draft statement disputing aspects of the federal narrative and was expected to provide formal testimony.
The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that the shooting was justified. In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said that state authorities presented the case to a grand jury, which “unanimously found no criminality.”
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has publicly called for congressional oversight and further review of the case, citing concerns about transparency.
Meanwhile, federal officials have rejected allegations of a cover-up, stating that investigations followed established legal procedures.
As of this week, the Martinez family continues to seek independent review and greater disclosure of evidence, including any available video footage, as they pursue clarity regarding the circumstances surrounding Ruben Ray Martinez’s death.
