San Antonio Mayor Demands Congress Investigate 2025 Killing of Ruben Ray Martinez

Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by a Homeland Security Investigation agent on South Padre Island.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is urging Congress to investigate the 2025 killing of Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, by a Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agent on South Padre Island. The mayor says Martinez's family 'deserve answers and transparency around his death.' The incident initially was reported as an officer-involved shooting, but the federal agency's involvement was not disclosed for nearly a year.

Why it matters

Martinez's death has raised concerns in the San Antonio community about transparency and accountability around officer-involved shootings, especially those involving federal agencies like HSI. The mayor is calling for a full investigation to provide answers to Martinez's family and the broader public.

The details

According to DHS records, HSI agents and local police were redirecting traffic at the scene of a crash when they encountered Martinez's vehicle. The agents asked Martinez to slow down, but he allegedly accelerated and ran into an agent, who ended up on the hood of the vehicle. Another HSI agent then fired multiple rounds through the driver's side window, fatally shooting Martinez. Martinez's family attorneys say it's critical there is a full investigation into why HSI was present and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen.

  • On March 15, 2025, Ruben Ray Martinez was fatally shot by an HSI agent on South Padre Island.
  • In March 2026, a year after Martinez's death, the federal agency's involvement in the incident became public.

The players

Gina Ortiz Jones

The mayor of San Antonio who is urging Congress to investigate the 2025 killing of Ruben Ray Martinez.

Ruben Ray Martinez

A 23-year-old U.S. citizen from San Antonio who was fatally shot by an HSI agent on South Padre Island in March 2025.

Rachel Reyes

The mother of Ruben Ray Martinez, who says the family has struggled with the silence surrounding her son's killing and hopes the new attention will bring justice.

Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm

Attorneys representing the Martinez family, who say it's critical there is a full investigation into why HSI was present and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen.

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What they’re saying

“It is critical that there is a full and fair investigation into why HSI was present at the scene of a traffic collision and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen as he was trying to comply with instructions from the local law enforcement officers directing traffic.”

— Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm, Attorneys representing the Martinez family (Newsweek)

“We deserve to know what happened. Everybody in our community deserves to be safe, no matter who they are—and they certainly deserve answers when somebody, one of their loved ones, one of their neighbors, is killed.”

— Gina Ortiz Jones, Mayor of San Antonio (News 4 San Antonio)

“Since Ruben's death a year ago, all we have wanted is justice for him, and we have struggled with the silence surrounding his killing…It's my hope that attention being raised now into Ruben's death will help bring the justice we want for him and the answers we haven't had.”

— Rachel Reyes, Mother of Ruben Ray Martinez (Newsweek)

What’s next

The Texas Department of Public Safety's Rangers division is still actively investigating the shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability around officer-involved shootings, especially those involving federal agencies like HSI. The San Antonio community is demanding answers and justice for Ruben Ray Martinez's death.