DHS Kept Killing of Texan by ICE Agents Secret for 11 Months

Newly released records show that a US citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Michael Biesecker and Jesse Bedayn reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Although Martinez’s death on March 15, 2025, was reported by local media at the time, federal and state authorities did not disclose that an HSI team was involved.(Photo: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement X) 

The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, appears to be the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of a nationwide immigration crackdown during President Donald Trump’s second term.

On Friday, DHS said the shooting on South Padre Island last March occurred after the driver intentionally struck an agent.

The incident involved a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team conducting an immigration enforcement operation alongside local police, according to documents obtained by American Oversight, a Washington-based nonprofit watchdog group.

The records are part of heavily redacted internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that the nonprofit obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.

Although Martinez’s death on March 15, 2025, was reported by local media at the time, federal and state authorities did not disclose that an HSI team was involved.

In a statement Friday, DHS said the driver “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigations special agent,” prompting another agent to fire “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.”

The department did not respond to questions about why no media release or public notification was issued regarding the officer-involved shooting over the past 11 months.