US citizen shot and killed by federal immigration agent last year, new records show
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old US citizen, was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent during a late-night traffic encounter on South Padre Island, Texas, in March 2025, an incident not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until recently.
- The shooting occurred after Martinez allegedly accelerated his vehicle and struck a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent, who then fired multiple shots in self-defense; Martinez was pronounced dead at a hospital, and the passenger was taken into custody.
- Newly released heavily redacted ICE documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit reveal the involvement of HSI agents assisting local police during an immigration enforcement operation, contradicting earlier reports that did not specify federal agency involvement
