Movies launched by the Texas Division of Public Security seem to solid doubt on the Division of Homeland Safety’s account of a deadly agent-involved capturing of U.S. citizen that occurred in South Padre Island, Texas, in March 2025.
Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was fatally shot by a Homeland Safety Investigations agent on March 15, 2025. The incident was initially reported by native information retailers as an officer-involved capturing. DHS didn’t reveal the involvement of its agent till February when media retailers reported that the brokers had been concerned.
In an announcement given to San Antonio ABC affiliate, DHS stated HSI brokers had been serving to South Padre Island Cops management site visitors after an unrelated accident on the standard spring break vacation spot when a driver “deliberately ran over” an agent “leading to him being on the hood of the automobile.”
On this picture from video supplied by the Texas Division of Public Security, regulation enforcement officers encompass Ruben Ray Martinez after he was shot by Homeland Safety Investigations Particular Agent Jack Stevens and pulled from his automobile at a roadblock in South Padre Island, Texas, on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
Miguel Leal/AP
The assertion went on to say: “Upon witnessing this, one other agent fired defensive pictures to guard himself, his fellow brokers, and most of the people.”
DHS stated an agent was taken to the hospital with a knee harm after the incident.
In an announcement supplied to ABC Information, attorneys for Martinez’s mom stated the video footage calls the DHS account of the capturing into query.
“These new movies affirm that Ruben’s automobile was barely shifting when he was shot,” the assertion from attorneys Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm stated. “That he was braking, not accelerating. That no person was on the hood of his automobile. That no person was in entrance of his automobile when he was shot. That he was shot at point-blank vary via his facet window by an ICE agent who was in no hazard.”
The assertion went on to say: “This batch of proof reveals no justification for Ruben’s killing.
In an announcement, Todd Lyons, appearing director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stated: “We stand by the grand jury’s unanimous resolution that discovered no criminality. This incident was investigated from each attainable angle by an unbiased physique, and it cleared our officer.”
Physique digital camera video
Footage from the body-worn digital camera of a South Padre police officer seems to indicate Martinez’s blue Ford slowly approaching the intersection and shifting ahead when somebody is heard saying, “Preserve going.”
Martinez’s automobile slows to a crawl or a attainable cease as a gaggle of pedestrians are seen crossing the road. Martinez strikes ahead after the pedestrians cross and officers seem to turn into involved and yell, “Cease him” and “Get him out.” Three pictures might be heard because the officer with the digital camera runs towards the automobile.
Martinez’s brake lights seemed to be on when he’s shot. For the reason that DPS footage doesn’t embrace the attitude of the agent who shot Martinez, it doesn’t present any attainable impression between brokers and the automobile.
“Cease the f—— automobile somebody,” might be heard saying because the automobile comes to an entire cease.
Ruben Ray Martinez is seen on this undated picture supplied by his household.
Courtesy household of Ruben Ray Martinez
Brokers are then seen pulling Martinez and his passenger, Joshua Orta, out of the automobile. Paramedics on scene start to render support roughly over a minute after he was pulled from the automobile.
A toxicology report launched reveals Martinez has a blood alcohol stage of 0.12% above the authorized restrict of 0.08%.
In his assertion to ABC Information, Lyons, the appearing head of ICE, pointed to an investigative report carried out by the Texas Rangers which included evaluation of a number of physique cameras, and which confirmed Martinez holding a bottle of Crown Royal Whiskey and “rolling towards an officers location,” Lyons stated within the assertion.
Lyons’ assertion continued: “Officers yell ‘the place are you going’ and ‘cease him.’ At this level, an officer directing site visitors ‘was instantly in entrance of the Fusion’ and ‘solely one-half a automobile size away.'”
Lyons stated, “Martinez ‘rolled ahead and made a direct left flip.’ The agent then ‘seems to maneuver as if he had been on the autos hood.'”
The agent’s perspective
The agent who shot Martinez, recognized in paperwork as Jack Stevens, stated he approached the automobile after an officer yelled to “get him out.” Stevens stated that when he approached, he observed the odor of marijuana coming from the driving force’s facet window, in response to the paperwork.
“The motive force’s eyes had been open extensively, fist clenched to the steering wheel, and he was trying previous the officers on scene as he did not adjust to the loud and repeated verbal instructions of a number of regulation enforcement officers. It is a conduct I’ve noticed in my coaching and expertise as a pre assault indicator and signal of noncompliance because the suspect is trying within the path of their supposed motion and isn’t indicative of compliance,” he stated.
“This path of motion, if left unmitigated, would, utilizing the automobile as a weapon, have resulted in quite a few casualties,” he wrote.
On this picture from video supplied by the Texas Division of Public Security, Homeland Safety Investigations Particular Agent Jack Stevens pulls Ruben Ray Martinez from his automobile after capturing Martinez at a roadblock in South Padre Island, Texas, on March 15, 2025.
Miguel Leal/AP
Stevens stated he was struck and knocked backwards by the driving force’s-side entrance pillar and facet mirror, in response to the paperwork. He stated he tried to backpedal to keep away from being run over and was “nonetheless involved with the automobile because the automobile struck” one other agent.
Stevens stated latest incidents the place autos had been used as a weapon, just like the New 12 months’s Day assault in New Orleans earlier within the yr had been “contemporary on my thoughts,” in response to the paperwork.
“Upon observing the automobile strike SA [Hector] Sosa inflicting him to fall onto the hood of the automobile and driving via the scene, with SA Sosa clinging to the automobile’s hood, I discharged my service issued handgun firing via the open driver’s facet window placing the driving force a number of occasions. This motion stopped the menace and gained compliance from the driving force who stopped the automobile and positioned it into park,” he wrote.
A grand jury determined to not situation an indictment within the case, south Texas ABC affiliate KRGV reported.
Passenger speaks with investigators
In a recording of an interview that was additionally launched, the passenger, Joshua Orta, informed investigators that after they approached the scene of the accident, an officer noticed a container of alcohol within the automobile however informed him to maintain going ahead and switch to the left, however Martinez continued straight towards the opposite officers, Orta stated.
“That is when he, , panicked and turned the wheel, and he did not flooring the gasoline however he type of went a bit of bit and I assume they thought he was like attempting to run the cop over or one thing,” Orta stated within the interview.
“I noticed the officer, type of get on the hood. Like he did not hit him, however like he … caught his ft,” he stated.
Orta stated Martinez didn’t intend to run over the brokers.
“He did not know what to do … he positively did not wish to go to jail. However so far as, like, operating over an officer … he would not do this,” he stated.
Orta died in a automobile crash in February, KRGV reported.
