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By Billal Rahman and Dan Gooding
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Democrats have launched a scathing attack on the Trump administration’s handling of the killing of U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez, alleging that federal officials concealed the role of immigration agents in his death for nearly a year.
The renewed scrutiny follows revelations by Newsweek that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Martinez, 23, on March 15, 2025 in South Padre Island, Texas, during a late-night traffic encounter involving local law enforcement and agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to internal ICE documents, Martinez’s vehicle struck an agent assisting with traffic control, after which the incident report said, another agent fired multiple rounds at the vehicle. He was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Federal involvement in the shooting was not publicly disclosed at the time and only became known after internal records were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by American Oversight and reviewed by Newsweek.
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Martinez’s close friend, Joshua Orta, who provided a sworn statement to the family’s attorneys prior to his death in a car crash over the weekend, said the car had been moving slowly and that Martinez did not intentionally strike an agent, contradicting key elements of the federal account.
“It’s disturbing to think that the Trump Administration might have covered up the death of a U.S. citizen at the hands of a federal agent for almost a year,” Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told Newsweek.
There is no indication of a cover-up by the White House or the Department of Homeland Security. A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek the idea it concealed its involvement was "preposterous," saying that the incident was investigated by the FBI and the Office of Professional Responsibility.
“Every use of force incident and any discharge of an ICE firearm must be properly reported and reviewed by the agency in accordance with agency policy, procedure, and guidelines," the spokesperson continued. "All shootings are initially reviewed by an appropriate law enforcement agency. Following a review of the incident by the appropriate investigative agency, ICE will conduct an independent review of the critical incident."
A former senior ICE official told Newsweek the delay in disclosing the incident was “a concern,” but added that such events typically spark multiple parallel investigations, potentially contributing to extended disclosure timelines. The Texas Department of Public Safety launched an investigation following the shooting, which is ongoing, a spokesperson for the agency told Newsweek last week.
“While we continue to learn the facts of the case, I will continue to demand increased transparency and higher use-of-force standards," Gallego said. "We need safeguards to reel in these federal agents that Stephen Miller has emboldened to use force first and ask questions later with no impunity."
Texas Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro, who called for an investigation into the killing, told Newsweek that he also believes federal authorities engaged in a cover-up.
“We're demanding the release of any kind of video evidence,” Castro said Tuesday. “That would help clarify this. A few things. First, if the evidence was clear in their favor, I believe they would have released it by now.
“They also have not provided a detailed account of what exactly transpired, and why force was their only option.”
Castro told Newsweek that he did not believe any attempt had been made by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to notify Congress of the death.
There is no law that requires DHS to notify Congress if ICE kills a U.S. citizen.
Texas Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa, a gubernatorial candidate in this year’s election, told Newsweek the DHS’s handling is “unacceptable” and “alarming”.
“I didn't understand how it could be almost a year without learning of this news,” Hinojosa told Newsweek.
“I know the community well where Ruben Rey Martinez was killed. And it's shocking to think that this happened, and no one knew.”
Hinojosa said she would continue raising the case on the campaign trail “as long as there are still answers to gain,” and confirmed she has taken formal steps to obtain additional records.
Hinojosa said her office has requested body camera footage from the state police who were present during Martinez’s killing. Using her authority as a legislator, she has sought access to any related communications and is currently waiting for a response from the governor’s office.
“My message to [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi] Noem is that she has an obligation, a sacred duty to the American people to be transparent about the actions of her agency,” Hinojosa said. “When the life of an American is taken, it cannot be kept in secret. It is a violation of her oath to this constitution and to her obligation to the American people.”
Hinojosa said that if she wins the governor’s race, she will ensure full transparency regarding Martinez’s death and take all steps within her authority to hold officials accountable.
“Abbott has a responsibility to the people of Texas to protect us,” Hinojosa said, accusing state and federal officials of being complicit in what she described as a "cover-up" and the withholding of information.
Illinois Democratic Representative Mike Quigley said the delayed disclosure fits what he described as a pattern of secrecy and misconduct within DHS.
“Ruben Ray Martinez’s death and the Trump Administration’s failure to disclose the circumstances surrounding it for nearly a year are yet another example of this administration’s disregard for the rule of law,” Quigley told Newsweek.
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