Newly released videos show the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration agent in Texas last year, providing the first visual account of an incident that has raised questions about the circumstances leading to the deadly encounter.

Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was shot and killed by Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agent Jack Stevens on March 15, 2025, during what authorities described as a traffic checkpoint in South Padre Island. The Texas Rangers closed their investigation last week after a grand jury declined to file criminal charges against Stevens.

Body camera footage from South Padre Island police officers shows Martinez's blue Ford sedan slowly approaching an intersection where officers were directing traffic around a vehicle accident. The car appeared to move straight instead of turning left as directed, then came to nearly a full stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. As HSI agents approached the vehicle shouting instructions, Martinez's car began slowly moving forward and turning left. Stevens, positioned on the driver's side, fired three shots through the window before the vehicle came to a stop.

In a written statement to investigators, Stevens said he fired to protect fellow agents and the public, claiming Martinez had struck another agent with his vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security previously stated the driver "intentionally ran over" an agent. However, the newly released body camera videos do not clearly show the vehicle striking an agent.

Joshua Orta, who was riding with Martinez, told investigators his friend had "panicked" because he feared arrest for driving while intoxicated. An autopsy showed Martinez's blood alcohol level was 0.12%, above Texas's legal limit of 0.08%. All three shots fired by Stevens hit Martinez, with bullets piercing his heart, lungs, liver and other organs. Orta died in February 2026 in a separate car accident in San Antonio.

Martinez's death was among at least six fatal shootings by federal agents since President Donald Trump launched a nationwide immigration crackdown in his second term. The incident occurred as Martinez and Orta were returning from a night out during spring break at the popular beach destination.