US Citizen Killed by DHS Agent Revealed in March Last Year Records

A US citizen was fatally shot by Department of Homeland Security agents in Texas on March 15, 2025. Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was killed after allegedly hitting another DHS agent with his car while assisting local police with traffic control following an accident on South Padre Island. The incident occurred during a period of increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

According to records obtained by American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group, the agents were conducting immigration enforcement at the time of the incident. Martinez had never been in trouble with law enforcement before and was described as a “typical young guy” by his mother, Rachel Reyes.

The agent who was hit by the car suffered a knee injury but was later released from the hospital. The incident is currently under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division. Martinez’s family has called for a full and fair investigation into the shooting.

The incident appears to be the first known instance of a US citizen being killed during Trump’s immigration crackdown, which has led to increased scrutiny of the administration’s policies. The Trump administration has budgeted $170 billion for immigration agencies through September 2029, a significant increase in funding.

A DHS spokesperson stated that Martinez intentionally ran over an agent with his car and another agent fired defensive shots. American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu described the incident as “a deeply troubling picture of the violent methods used by ICE.”

Source: Al Jazeera