Witness Who Disputed ICE Account of Ruben Ray Martinez Shooting Dies in Car Accident
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Joshua Orta, the sole passenger in a car when Ruben Ray Martinez was fatally shot by an ICE officer in South Texas in March 2025, died in an unrelated car crash over the weekend.
- Orta had planned to publicly challenge the government's account, stating in a written statement that neither he nor Martinez resisted officers and were attempting to comply when the shooting occurred.
- The statement was obtained by lawyers representing Martinez's family and was intended for use in future legal proceedings; Orta was preparing to sign and cooperate before his death.
- Martinez's family's lawyer emphasized the importance of Orta's eyewitness testimony and called for transparency and the release of all evidence in the case.
- The loss of Orta is seen as a significant setback for
