ICE Shooting of American Citizen Revealed Months Before Good and Pretti Deaths
Newly released documents have uncovered that an American citizen was shot dead by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents months before the high-profile killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. The incident adds to growing scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Traffic Stop Turns Fatal in Texas
Ruben Ray Martinez, who had just turned 23, was killed during a traffic stop on South Padre Island in Texas on March 15, 2025. According to records obtained by nonprofit watchdog American Oversight and reported by multiple outlets, Martinez and his best friend were driving from San Antonio to South Padre Island to celebrate when the shooting occurred.
His mother, Rachel Reyes, confirmed to the Associated Press that her son was the victim in the incident. "It was his first time getting to go out of town," Reyes said. "He was a nice guy, humble guy. And he wasn't a violent person at all." Family lawyer Charles Stam also verified Martinez's identity to The New York Times.
ICE Report Details Controversial Incident
An internal ICE incident report included in the document release describes how Homeland Security Investigations officers were assisting South Padre Island police with traffic redirection after an accident when the shooting occurred. According to the report:
- Agents surrounded Martinez's blue Ford at an intersection shortly after midnight
- They ordered Martinez and his passenger to exit the vehicle
- Martinez "accelerated forward" and struck an HSI special agent, who landed on the hood
- An HSI supervisory special agent then fired multiple times through the open driver's side window
Martinez was transported to a hospital where he later died. The agent struck by the vehicle received treatment for a knee injury. The report does not clarify why Martinez was initially stopped.
DHS Defends Agent's Actions
The Department of Homeland Security, without confirming the victim's identity, stated that a federal agent fatally shot a man that day to "protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public." A DHS spokesperson told The Independent that "a driver of a blue Ford intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent" and another agent fired "defensive shots" in response.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger Division is actively investigating the incident, according to DHS statements.
Pattern of Fatal Shootings Under Immigration Crackdown
Martinez's death represents one of at least six fatal shootings by federal immigration agents since President Donald Trump intensified immigration enforcement measures. This pattern has drawn increasing public disapproval, with a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 55 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration, while only 38 percent approve—the lowest level since his return to the White House.
The Trump administration faced nationwide backlash over the deaths of Renee Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, both 37-year-old U.S. citizens gunned down by federal agents in Minneapolis streets last month. The administration has framed both shootings as self-defense, claims that have faced significant scrutiny from critics and the public.
These incidents collectively highlight ongoing controversies surrounding immigration enforcement tactics and their impact on American citizens caught in increasingly aggressive federal operations.
