Ruben Ray Martinez was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Texas last year, according to newly released documents
Multiple media outlets have reported that newly released documents reveal a US immigration agent fatally shot an American citizen in Texas in 2025, representing the third known death connected to immigration enforcement operations.
The shooting occurred months prior to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, which took place during President Donald Trump’s broad immigration crackdown and sparked renewed public outrage over the initiative.
Multiple news outlets reported on Friday that Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was killed by a federal agent in South Padre Island in March 2025, citing internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents recently made public by the nonprofit watchdog organization American Oversight. According to reports, ICE agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations alongside local law enforcement.
According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement referenced by multiple outlets, Martinez was shot after he “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent” during a traffic stop.
Local media initially reported the incident as an officer-involved shooting, though federal agent participation was not disclosed until the internal report was released earlier this week.
Democratic Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has accused ICE of concealing the incident.
“I am calling for a full investigation into this shooting, including why there was an 8-month cover up,” he posted on X on Saturday.
Martinez’s death appears to be the earliest of the three known killings of US citizens associated with Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown since the beginning of his second term.
The killings of Good and Pretti last month triggered public outrage, leading border czar Tom Homan to reduce the number of federal agents stationed in Minneapolis.
In an interview with NBC News earlier in February, Trump conceded that his administration could have employed a “little bit of a softer touch,” but maintained that the immigration crackdown is focused on “really hard criminals.”
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stated last week that approximately half of the 1.6 million illegal immigrants with final deportation orders are convicted criminals.
However, public support for the crackdown has waned, according to a recent Ipsos poll conducted for the Washington Post and ABC News and published on Friday. The survey found that approximately 58% of Americans believe the deportations are “going too far,” while 62% oppose the aggressive tactics used by ICE.