U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and Robert Garcia are the most recent members of Congress to demand an unbiased investigation into the dying of Ruben Ray Martinez, a San Antonio man fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on South Padre Island.
In a letter to the Division of Homeland Safety’s inspector normal, Garcia and Casar — Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee — referred to as for a probe of the 23-year-old U.S. citizen’s dying together with any actions federal officers took “to hide the information and circumstances” surrounding it.
Casar, who represents Austin, and Garcia, who represents Lengthy Seaside, California, need a briefing from DHS no later than Monday, April 6, in line with their letter. They be part of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, in demanding the federal authorities delve additional into Martinez’s capturing.
An ICE Homeland Safety Investigations officer shot Martinez on March 15, 2025, however the company’s involvement within the incident didn’t come to gentle till a watchdog group final month compelled the discharge of a trove of federal immigration paperwork. The San Antonio man was considered one of 23 folks shot by DHS personnel over the previous 14 months, in line with the 2 congressmen.
In emailed assertion to the Present, Casar and Garcia accused DHS and the Texas Division of Public Security of concealing ICE’s involvement within the capturing and mendacity in regards to the circumstances. DHS officers allege the agent was aiding native regulation enforcement officers with a site visitors collision when Martinez refused to obey instructions and “deliberately ran over” the federal agent.
Video of the incident later launched by the Texas Division of Public doesn’t present Martinez hit the ICE officer together with his automotive. Nonetheless, the clips additionally don’t present clear proof that the car by no means got here into contact with the agent.
“Mr. Martinez’s dying is a tragedy that ought to by no means have occurred,” Garcia and Casar mentioned of their joint letter. “DHS’s repeated lies and omissions in regards to the capturing of Mr. Martinez replicate a troubling sample wherein official statements about using deadly drive are later challenged by video footage, witness testimony, or subsequent investigations.”
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The clips, from a number of angles, don’t embody the whole lot, together with key audio. However attorneys for the person’s household argue they refute the Trump administration’s clarification that his killing was self-defense.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has joined Rep. Joaquin Castro and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones in calling for probe of Ruben Ray Martinez’s dying.
