...
By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Newly released records uncovered by Newsweek detail how a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot 23‑year‑old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez during a late‑night traffic incident in South Padre Island, Texas—an encounter that remained undisclosed to the public for nearly a year.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents, obtained by the government watchdog group American Oversight through a Freedom of Information Act request and reviewed by Newsweek, include a Use of Force and ICE Significant Incident Report describing the March 15, 2025, shooting by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of DHS.
You can read the document in full here:
Read More on News
Pages-72-77-from-DHS-ICE-25-0213-25-0481-25-0956-A-Proces_260221_103823.pdf.PDF
What the DHS Report Says Happened
According to an ICE Significant Incident Report, agents with the HSI Harlingen Border Enforcement Security Task Force were assisting South Padre Island police with traffic control around 12:40 a.m. after a major vehicle accident involving multiple injuries.
The report says a blue four‑door Ford approached the intersection where agents and local officers were redirecting traffic.
Officers issued verbal commands for the vehicle to stop. The driver slowed, after which agents surrounded the car and ordered the driver to exit.
The driver then accelerated forward, striking an HSI supervisory special agent, who ended up on the hood of the vehicle, according to the report.
A supervising agent fired multiple rounds from his government‑issued handgun through the open driver‑side window. The vehicle came to a stop and both occupants were secured. Agents and on‑scene paramedics provided medical aid.
The driver was taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas, where he was later pronounced dead.
The report identifies the deceased as a U.S. citizen from San Antonio. A second individual in the vehicle, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody by South Padre Island police pending charges.
Texas Department of Public Safety Rangers assumed primary investigative jurisdiction.
The agent struck by the vehicle was treated for a knee injury and released.
The agent who fired the weapon was also medically evaluated and cleared, according to the report.
Read more:
- DHS Confirms Third US Citizen Killing After Newsweek Investigation
- Who Was Ruben Ray Martinez? US Citizen Fatally Shot by ICE Agent
- Ruben Ray Martinez Death: Officials Demand Answers Over ICE Shooting
- Read Full DHS‑ICE Report on Fatal Shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez
- Mother of US Citizen Killed by DHS Speaks Out
- Former ICE Director Breaks Down Ruben Ray Martinez’s Death Report
What the Public Was Not Told
Local media initially described the March 2025 incident as an “officer‑involved shooting,” but authorities did not disclose at the time that a federal immigration agent fired the fatal shots.
ICE records show the agency notified internal oversight bodies, including the Office of Professional Responsibility, on the day of the shooting.
The report notes that no media inquiries were received and that public affairs officials were notified internally.
ICE’s involvement became public nearly a year later, after American Oversight released internal DHS records, prompting a series of Newsweek investigations.
Family Disputes DHS Account
Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, has disputed the government’s account of the shooting. She told Newsweek that her son had no criminal history and said the family was never informed that federal immigration agents were involved.
“Since Ruben’s death, all we have wanted is justice for him—and we struggled with the silence,” Reyes said.
Political and National Fallout
Following Newsweek’s reporting, DHS confirmed that Martinez was the third known U.S. citizen killed by a federal immigration agent during President Donald Trump’s second‑term immigration crackdown.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also weighed in, expressing alarm over the year‑long delay in disclosure.
A spokesperson for Newsom told Newsweek that the lack of timely transparency raised serious concerns about accountability when federal agents use deadly force.
What Happens Next
The DHS report states that the Texas Department of Public Safety Rangers Division remains the lead investigative agency.
As of the latest filings, no information has been released publicly about disciplinary action, prosecutorial decisions, or whether body‑camera footage exists or will be released.
ICE records confirm that at least one agent involved had body‑worn camera capability, though the documents do not state whether footage captured the shooting or whether it has been reviewed.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines