A grand jury on Wednesday rejected indictments over the deadly capturing final yr of a US citizen by a federal immigration agent throughout a visitors encounter in Texas, prosecutors mentioned.
The capturing of Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025, by a Homeland Safety Investigations agent wasn’t publicly disclosed by the Division of Homeland Safety till The Related Press and different media retailers reported it final week. HSI is an investigative unit which falls below US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Cameron County District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned in an announcement {that a} grand jury declined handy up indictments after being offered the case. The workplace didn’t present extra particulars.
In a earlier assertion, DHS alleged that the 23-year-old “deliberately ran over” an HSI particular agent, inflicting one other agent to fireside “defensive photographs to guard himself, his fellow brokers, and most people.”
The capturing would mark the earliest of at the very least six lethal shootings by federal officers since a nationwide immigration crackdown was launched in President Donald Trump’s second time period.
Attorneys for Martinez’s household, who’re skeptical of DHS’ account of the capturing, mentioned in an announcement Wednesday that as a result of grand jury proceedings are personal, they don’t know what witness statements or video proof had been offered to the jurors.
They’re calling on the Texas Division of Public Security to reveal the findings of its investigation so Martinez’s household can “decide for themselves whether or not ICE’s story is correct and why Ruben was killed that night time.”
The attorneys cited a draft affidavit from the passenger, Joshua Orta, within the automotive with Martinez when he was shot. Within the draft testimony, Orta reportedly mentioned that Martinez didn’t hit an officer together with his automobile, that their automotive was “simply crawling” and {that a} federal agent fired into the motive force’s aspect window with out “giving any warning, instructions, or alternative to conform.”
Orta, a key witness to the encounter, died in a automotive crash final weekend.
Martinez’s household are “proud Individuals, robust supporters of legislation enforcement, and Trump voters. They imagine there are sincere and first rate officers on the market,” the assertion learn.
“They only need to be handled actually and decently.”
Martinez, who lived in San Antonio, Texas, and Orta had been on a Spring Break journey to South Padre Island when he was shot. His dying was reported by native media retailers on the time, however authorities didn’t disclose that the capturing concerned a workforce from HSI.
An incident report from ICE described the officers’ account of what occurred whereas they had been helping native police in redirecting visitors round a automotive accident.
A four-door Ford with a driver and passenger approached officers, who ordered the motive force to cease, the report mentioned.
Initially, the motive force didn’t reply to instructions however ultimately got here to a cease, and brokers surrounded the automobile, telling these inside to get out, in keeping with the report.
The driving force then “accelerated ahead” and struck an HSI particular agent “who wound up on the hood of the automobile,” prompting a HSI supervisory particular agent close by to fireside his weapon a number of instances via the open driver’s aspect window, the report mentioned.
The draft affidavit disputes these particulars.
In it, Orta reportedly mentioned that he and Martinez had been first approached by a police officer who advised them to go away. As they tried turning, one other officer approached, slapped the hood and “appeared to be making an attempt to get in entrance of the automotive,” it added.
Officers surrounded the automobile, yelling at them to cease and drawing their weapons, the draft affidavit mentioned, including that Martinez was “solely crawling,” and by no means hit an officer or the gasoline.
An officer close to the motive force’s aspect window then pulled his weapon and fired with out warning, the draft affidavit mentioned, and Orta recounted listening to Martinez say “I’m sorry” as he slumped backward unconscious.
Reyes, Martinez’s mom, advised AP final week her son was shot 3 times.
