U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said he will ask the Justice Department and appropriate congressional committees to investigate the fatal shooting of a San Antonio man by federal immigration agents nearly a year ago.
During a Friday call with reporters, Castro questioned why the public is only now learning of the involvement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the March 15, 2025, shooting death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen.
“It’s very unusual that for almost a year they would not disclose that an ICE agent shot and killed this person,” said Castro, who added that he’ll also reach out to Martinez’s family to offer support.
The Congressman accused the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers of working in cahoots with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to orchestrate an “organized coverup” of the shooting. Although the Rangers said they’re investigating the shooting, which took place on South Padre Island, Castro said he believes that’s a stalling tactic.
Although some South Texas media reported on Martinez’s death last year, ICE’s involvement only came to light after nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight publicly released a trove of documents related to federal immigration agents’ use of force.
In a statement Friday to the Texas Tribune, Department of Homeland Security confirmed the shooting, accusing Martinez of “intentionally” running over an agent who was helping direct traffic at an accident site. The agent was taken to a hospital for a knee injury and later released, records show.
Castro said he’s not taking DHS’s explanation at face value, though. He pointed to federal officials’ attempts to spin the narrative after ICE agents shot Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
“We’re not in normal times. I can’t just trust what ICE says,” Castro said. “I need to get all the information.”
American Oversight Executive Director Chioma Chukwu on Friday told the Texas Tribune that the Trump administration has repeatedly misled the public about its immigration enforcement actions, adding that the lack of transparency around Martinez’s death is concerning.
“What they’re telling the public is very different than what they’re doing behind closed doors,” Chukwu said. “The only reason why we’re able to make these connections and really call into question the public statements that they’re making to mislead the public is because we’re able to get our hands on these documents. That should deeply concern everyone.”
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
