USA22 February, 20263 min read
Rep. Ray Lopez Demands Public Hearing After ICE Agent Killed 23-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Ruben Ray Martinez, Federal Role Hidden Nearly a Year
An ICE agent fatally shot 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025. Department of Homeland Security did not publicly disclose ICE's role for nearly a year.
16 outlets told this the same way.
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Demand for committee hearing
Texas state Representative Ray Lopez (D), vice chair of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs, has formally demanded a public committee hearing into the March 15, 2025, fatal shooting of 23‑year‑old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez.
“Texas state Representative Ray Lopez (D), vice chair of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs, is demanding a public committee hearing into the March 2025 fatal shooting of 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.”
Lopez took the step after newly released documents disclosed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) — agent’s involvement nearly a year after the incident.
He invoked Rule 4, Section 6A from the 89th Texas Legislature, which he says enables him to compel Committee Chairman Cole Hefner (R) to promptly schedule the hearing.
Lopez requested a written response by the end of business Feb. 23.
Lopez said the move was necessary because the public was entitled to full clarity when government uses 'its most serious power, the power to take a life,' and multiple outlets note this appears to be the first public use of that new rule.
Internal HSI shooting records
Heavily redacted ICE/HSI records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by watchdog American Oversight and first reported by Newsweek describe an encounter in the early hours of March 15. The records say HSI agents who were assisting local police after a multi‑vehicle crash ordered a blue Ford to stop and then surrounded the vehicle. The agents say the driver accelerated and struck an HSI special agent, who landed on the hood.
A supervisory HSI agent then fired multiple rounds through the open driver’s window. The driver, identified by his mother as 23‑year‑old Ruben Ray Martinez of San Antonio, was taken to a Brownsville hospital and pronounced dead.
DHS/ICE statements quoted in several outlets characterize the shooting as defensive, saying the driver "intentionally ran over" the agent and that another agent fired "defensive shots." Some reports note the federal account has not been independently verified.
MediaiteHSI disclosure backlash
The disclosure of HSI’s involvement roughly 11 months after the March shooting has provoked sharp reactions and demands for more transparency.
“The shooting, which left an HSI agent with a knee injury, was not publicly disclosed for nearly a year, drawing criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office for the delay and accusations of a 'coverup' from Rep. Joaquin Castro.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office criticized the delay, Rep. Joaquin Castro called the late disclosure a 'coverup,' and Texas Democrats and family attorneys have sought federal probes, independent inquiries and the release of video or body-camera footage that some officials say may exist and could contradict the federal account.
Several outlets note the Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety are investigating, and federal officials have yet to explain the lag in public notice.
Investigations and evidentiary questions
The Texas Department of Public Safety says the investigation is active and a state probe completed in October could be presented to a grand jury. The Texas Rangers are leading a criminal inquiry, and family attorneys have demanded an independent inquiry and release of footage.
Several accounts say the internal ICE 'significant incident' report and other records were heavily redacted. Some local police say they did not fire, and the presence of HSI agents assisting with traffic control after a crash raises questions about when and how federal agents became involved.
Media framing of killing
Mainstream outlets (CBS News, Newsweek, WOAI) center on Lopez’s procedural invocation and oversight demand. Other outlets (El-Balad, SSBCrack News, Mediaite) situate the killing within a wider national debate on intensified immigration enforcement during the Trump administration. Those outlets also note the case is among several fatal encounters involving federal agents this year.
“Rep. Ray Lopez, vice chair of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs, formally used Rule 4, Section 6A — adopted during the 89th Legislative Session — to compel Committee Chair Rep. Cole Hefner to 'promptly schedule' a hearing.”
El-Balad mentions potential legislative responses and increased salience in Texas primaries. Some local coverage says the case could prompt committee action or policy proposals.
