{"id":218714,"date":"2026-03-24T22:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/218714\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T22:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:01:11","slug":"house-oversight-members-want-probe-into-death-of-san-antonio-man-ruben-ray-martinez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/218714\/","title":{"rendered":"House Oversight members want probe into death of San Antonio man Ruben Ray Martinez"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ICEICE shot and killed Ruben Ray Martinez of San Antonio during a traffic incident nearly a year ago. Credit: Mission Park Funerals and Chapel Cemetary<\/p>\n

U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and\u00a0Robert Garcia\u00a0are the latest members of Congress to demand an independent investigation into the death of Ruben Ray Martinez, a San Antonio man fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on South Padre Island.<\/p>\n

In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s inspector general, Garcia and Casar \u2014\u00a0Democrats on the House Oversight Committee \u2014\u00a0called for a probe of the 23-year-old U.S. citizen\u2019s death along with any actions federal officials took \u201cto conceal the facts and circumstances\u201d surrounding it.<\/p>\n

Casar, who represents Austin, and Garcia, who represents Long Beach, California, want a briefing from DHS no later than Monday, April 6, according to their letter. They join U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, in demanding the federal government delve further into Martinez\u2019s shooting<\/a>. <\/p>\n

An ICE Homeland Security Investigations officer shot Martinez on March 15, 2025, but the agency\u2019s involvement in the incident didn\u2019t come to light until a watchdog group last month forced the release of a trove of federal immigration documents<\/a>. The San Antonio man was one of 23 people shot by DHS personnel over the past 14 months, according to the two congressmen. <\/p>\n

In emailed statement to the Current, Casar and Garcia accused DHS and the Texas Department of Public Safety of concealing ICE\u2019s involvement in the shooting and lying about the circumstances. DHS officials allege the agent was assisting local law enforcement officials with a traffic collision when Martinez refused to obey commands and \u201cintentionally ran over\u201d\u00a0the federal agent. <\/p>\n

Video of the incident later released by the Texas Department of Public doesn\u2019t show Martinez hit the ICE officer<\/a> with his car. However, the clips also don\u2019t provide clear evidence that the vehicle never came into contact with the agent.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Martinez\u2019s death is a tragedy that should never have happened,\u201d Garcia and Casar said in their joint letter. \u201cDHS\u2019s repeated lies and omissions about the shooting of Mr. Martinez reflect a troubling pattern in which official statements about the use of lethal force are later challenged by video footage, witness testimony, or subsequent investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Footage\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe clips, from multiple angles, don\u2019t include everything, including key audio. But lawyers for the man\u2019s family argue they refute the Trump administration\u2019s explanation that his killing was self-defense.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Grand\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe feds say Ruben Ray Martinez intentionally struck an ICE agent with his vehicle, but the passenger in his car said the agent fired shots without warning.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Hinojosa\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tDemocratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has joined Rep. Joaquin Castro and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones in calling for probe of Ruben Ray Martinez\u2019s death. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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