Ruben Ray Martinez Shooting: Texas Grand Jury Declines to Indict ICE Agent in Fatal Shooting
Killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers – including of U.S. citizens – is not new. Gabe Whisnant and Billal Rahman for Newsweek reports that a Texas grand jury declined to indict an ICE agent in the 2025 fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen.
The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said jurors reviewed the evidence declined to return indictments, but did not provide any details.
Martinez, 23, was shot March 15, 2025, during a night traffic encounter on South Padre Island while federal agents were assisting local police with traffic control following an auto accident. The shooting involved a Homeland Security Investigations unit, part of ICE. According to Newsweek, "DHS has said Martinez `intentionally ran over' an HSI special agent, prompting another agent to fire `defensive shots' to protect himself, other agents and the public."
