23yo US citizen killed by ICE in Texas months before Minneapolis killings.

Records released in February 2026 by American Oversight revealed that federal agents fatally shot 23yo Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen, during a traffic incident in South Padre Island on March 15, 2025.

While the Department of Homeland Security alleges that Martinez intentionally struck an agent with his vehicle, leading a second officer to fire multiple defensive rounds, the federal involvement in his death was not publicly acknowledged for nearly a year.

This shooting is identified as the first of at least six fatal encounters involving federal personnel during the Trump administration's current immigration crackdown.

In light of the new disclosures, Texas lawmakers have called for a formal legislative inquiry and the release of body camera footage to investigate what they characterize as a significant lack of transparency by federal authorities.

Sources: The New York Times & The Texas Tribune