Immigration
The death was the first of at least six fatal shootings by federal agents since President Donald Trump launched a nationwide crackdown on immigration.
In this image from video provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jack Stevens pulls Ruben Ray Martinez from his car after Martinez was shot at a roadblock in South Padre Island, Texas, on March 15, 2025. (Officer Miguel Leal/Texas Department of Public Safety via AP) AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly released videos show Deadly shooting The shooting of a US citizen by a federal immigration agent in Texas last year calls into question the Department of Homeland Security’s assertions that a driver intentionally hit an agent with his car immediately before he was killed.
The videos, including from officers’ cameras, provide the first visual description of the shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, during a beach trip last year. Hours of footage and other law enforcement records were released Friday after a public records request from The Associated Press and other media outlets.
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Martinez’s death was the first of at least six fatal shootings by federal agents since President Donald Trump launched a campaign Nationwide immigration crackdown In his second term, W It is among several cases The video cast doubt on the administration’s initial accounts.
The Texas Rangers closed their investigation into the shooting on March 15, 2025 After being rejected by the grand jury last week to file any criminal charges against Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agent Jack Stevens, who fired the fatal shots, according to records released by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In a written statement included in the files, Stevens said he opened fire to protect fellow agents, police officers and the public from what he feared was a potential terrorist attack intended to cause significant human casualties. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said last month that an HSI agent fired defensive shots after the driver “intentionally ran over” his fellow agent, “resulting in him being on the hood of the vehicle.”
Newly released body camera videos, taken from behind Martinez’s car, do not clearly show the car hitting the customer.
Another video shows Joshua Orta, who was riding in the car with Martinez, telling investigators that his friend did not intend to hurt federal officers but panicked because he feared he would be arrested for drunk driving.
“He didn’t know what to do,” Orta said. “It’s like he definitely didn’t want to go to prison.” “But as far as running over an officer…he’s not going to do that.”
DHS spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment on the videos.
“Shots were fired, shots were fired.”
Local media reported at the time that the shooting targeted a police officer at the Ministry of National Security It has not publicly disclosed its clients’ involvement Even after the AP and other media reported it last month.
Martinez was just days past his 23rd birthday when he and Orta drove from their hometown of San Antonio to South Padre Island, a popular spring break party destination. Orta told investigators they drank with friends and smoked marijuana before returning to the city.
Martinez was driving his blue Ford sedan when, shortly after midnight, they arrived at the scene where South Padre police officers were directing traffic around a two-vehicle crash at a busy intersection. Also at the scene were three HSI agents from a Maritime Border Security Task Force who had been redirected to conduct immigration enforcement, according to the documents.
In body camera footage captured by two Island Police officers, Martinez’s car can be seen slowly approaching the intersection, appearing to be driving straight as the vehicles were directed to turn left. Martinez’s car slows to a crawl — almost a complete stop — for a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Once the pedestrian is out of the way, the car slowly pulls into the intersection before coming to a stop again as HSI agents approach, shouting instructions to the driver to stop.
An HSI agent, identified in documents as Special Agent Hector Sosa, moves in front of the vehicle. Stevens is on the driver’s side and reaching for the door.
One of the officers is heard shouting: “Get him out, get him out.”
Martinez’s car begins to slowly move forward and turn left, where other vehicles were traveling. Stevens, on the driver’s side of the vehicle, keeps pace and appears to lean toward the open driver’s side window. As the officers shout for Martinez to stop, Stevens draws his weapon and quickly fires three shots through the window before quickly retreating.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” shouted one police officer who was wearing a camera on his radio.
The entire incident happens in about 15 seconds.
Agents pull the driver from the car
The blue Ford quickly stopped and Martinez was pulled from the vehicle and handcuffed by several officers. Orta is also pulled from the passenger seat and handcuffed.
Martinez remained bound and on the ground, motionless, for about a minute before paramedics already at the scene of the earlier traffic accident began providing medical aid.
The autopsy report shows that all three shots fired by Stevens struck Martinez, with the bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and penetrating his heart, lungs, liver and other organs. The autopsy report also showed that Martinez’s blood alcohol level was 0.12%, well above the legal driving limit in Texas of 0.08%.
In a three-page written statement provided to the Texas Rangers nearly two months after the shooting, Stevens said he fired his weapon as Martinez “sprinted forward, striking Special Agent Sosa who ended up on the hood of the vehicle.” He also said he narrowly escaped being run over, hit by the driver’s side and “causing the mirror to break off the car.” A photo from the scene showed the mirror was damaged, but still on the car.
While he was being fired, the agent said recent domestic and international events were “still fresh in his mind,” including the man who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people. New Year’s revelers in New Orleans Weeks ago.
“The driver’s eyes were wide open, his fist clenched on the steering wheel, and he was looking at the officers on the scene as he failed to comply with the loud and repetitive verbal commands of multiple law enforcement officers,” Stevens wrote. “This is behavior I have observed in my training and experience as a pre-attack indicator and sign of non-compliance where the suspect looks at his intended path of movement and does not indicate compliance. This path of movement, if left unmitigated, would have resulted in the vehicle being used as a weapon, and would have resulted in numerous casualties.”
As the AP reported last month, an internal investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agent who was struck by the car was treated for an unspecified knee injury at a nearby hospital and released. Newly released videos show the agent after the shooting arresting Orta and walking without any injury or apparent limp.
“Then he panicked and spun the wheel.”
Orta said Martinez had been drinking alcohol earlier that night — several shots and a beer — and smoking marijuana when he approached the traffic checkpoint where a car accident had occurred earlier.
An officer spotted an open alcoholic beverage near Martinez but directed the vehicle to continue moving and turn left. Instead, Martinez continued straight toward the incident and more officers.
“That’s when he panicked and turned the wheel, and he didn’t turn off the gas but we went for a little bit and I think they thought he was trying to run the cop over or something,” Orta said.
Their car initially came to a complete stop, Orta said. Martinez then turned left with the car “barely moving.”
“I saw the officer standing on the hood of the car. As if he didn’t hit him, but as if, you know what I mean, he grabbed his feet,” Orta said. “It was moving slowly and they started shooting.”
Orta died on February 21 In a car accident In San Antonio.
Lawyers representing Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, said in a statement that newly released videos and other evidence showed his car was barely moving when Stevens fired at close range.
“This body of evidence shows no justification for killing Robin,” attorneys Charles M. Stamm and Alex Stamm said. “However, our quest for full transparency will continue until we have all the facts. We, and the public, have yet to see all the evidence the government has.”
Boone reported from Boise, Idaho, and Brock reported from New Orleans. Associated Press reporters Jesse Bedaine in Denver, John Lozano in Houston, and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed.