Footage shows US citizen shot by ICE agent in Texas traffic stop
New Body Camera Footage Reveals Fatal Shooting of U.S. Citizen by ICE Officer During Texas Traffic Stop
Recent footage from a body camera has brought to light the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an immigration officer in Texas last year, an event that only surfaced recently. The video captures the tense moments before Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was shot on March 15, 2025, in the coastal town of South Padre Island. As law enforcement attempted to stop his vehicle, Martinez moved his car forward, triggering gunfire in the night.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially withheld information about the officer’s involvement until details emerged through media coverage last month. According to DHS, Martinez “sped forward” and “intentionally collided” with an agent, leading another officer to fire “defensive shots.” This incident marks the first of three U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration agents during President Donald Trump’s second term, though Martinez was not protesting at the time.
Family’s Dispute Over Official Narrative
Attorneys for Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, have challenged the DHS’s explanation. They argue the footage “calls ICE’s account of the shooting into question.” The family’s legal representatives claim Martinez’s car was barely moving when he was shot, and he was braking, not accelerating. They also assert no one was on the hood of his vehicle or in front of it during the incident.
Footage and Testimonies Contradict DHS Claims
Texas officials had previously refused to share the incident’s footage with media. However, on Friday, the Texas Department of Public Safety released dozens of body camera videos, along with evidence and investigative reports. The footage shows multiple angles, including Martinez rolling down his blue Ford Fusion’s window to speak with an agent before slowly approaching an intersection.
“Where is he going?” one officer shouts in the clip. Martinez appears to slow down before turning his car leftward as officers shout at him. Gunshots follow, with the video captured from behind the vehicle, leaving unclear whether any officers were struck by the car.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officer noted in an internal report that a blue car stopped “at the feet of an unknown Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent.” The report claims another agent tried to open the car’s door when the driver began pulling forward, hitting an officer. “HSI Agent 1, who was initially in front of the car, appeared to be on the hood,” the report states, adding that the officer fired “what sounded like 3 shots” into the driver’s side window.
Friend’s Testimony Adds New Layer
Joshua Orta, a friend of Martinez, disputed the government’s account in a draft declaration. He said they had “a few drinks” and attended a party before the shooting. Upon arrival, an officer told them to “turn around and leave,” he added. A Texas Ranger spotted an open alcohol container in the car, Orta claimed, and later, a federal agent fired into the driver’s side without warning. Orta died in an unrelated car accident last month.
“That he was braking, not accelerating. That nobody was on the hood of his car. That nobody was in front of his car when he was shot. That he was shot at point-blank range through his side window by an ICE agent who was in no danger,” said Charles Stam and Alex Stamm, Martinez’s attorneys.
Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, who supported Trump in 2024, expressed frustration over the lack of evidence. “I don’t blame President Trump for my son’s death, because he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger,” she told CBS in February. “But I think something needs to be changed.” The BBC has sought comment from DHS on the case.
Last month, a Texas grand jury decided not to charge the federal agent responsible for the shooting. Despite this, the new evidence has reignited scrutiny of the incident, with Martinez’s family and witnesses offering conflicting accounts of the events that unfolded on that night.