A Texas grand jury declined Wednesday to issue criminal charges against a federal immigration officer who shot and killed an American citizen during a traffic encounter last March, according to local prosecutors.
Ruben Ray Martinez was fatally shot by a Homeland Security Investigations agent on March 15, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security kept the incident under wraps until news organizations including The Associated Press brought it to light last week.
Cameron County District Attorney’s Office released a brief statement confirming the grand jury’s decision not to pursue indictments after reviewing the case. Officials provided no further explanation for the determination.
According to DHS officials, Martinez “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent,” prompting another officer to discharge “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.”
This incident represents the first in a series of at least six fatal encounters involving federal law enforcement since President Donald Trump’s administration began its intensified immigration enforcement efforts.
However, a passenger traveling with Martinez has challenged the government’s version of events. Joshua Orta, who witnessed the shooting, provided a conflicting account in a preliminary sworn statement prepared last year, according to lawyers representing Martinez’s relatives. Tragically, Orta died in an automobile accident over the weekend.
The two men were visiting South Padre Island when they approached an intersection where local police and federal agents were managing traffic flow around a vehicle collision, based on Orta’s preliminary statement.
According to the draft testimony, Orta maintained that Martinez never struck any officer with their vehicle, describing their car as moving at a crawl when a federal agent opened fire through the driver’s window without issuing any verbal warnings or commands for compliance.
Legal representatives for Martinez’s family have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the grand jury’s decision.
