Grand jury rejects indictment over federal officer’s shooting of US citizen

The Guardian - World News Legal & JudicialNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete by Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026 at 12:38 AM

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Videos show US citizen’s shooting death in Texas last year by federal immigration agent

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A grand jury declined to indict a Homeland Security Investigations agent for the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez in Cameron County, Texas, on March 15, 2025. The shooting occurred during a traffic encounter, but was not publicly disclosed by DHS until recently. DHS alleges Martinez intentionally ran over an agent, prompting another agent to fire defensive shots. However, a passenger in the car with Martinez, Joshua Orta, disputed this account in a draft affidavit, stating the car was moving slowly and the agent fired without warning. Orta, a key witness, died in a car crash last weekend. The district attorney's office did not provide further details on the grand jury's decision.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Joshua Orta, a passenger in the car with Martinez, disputed DHS’ account in a draft affidavit.

factual — Attorneys for Martinez’s family100% confidence

DHS has alleged that Martinez intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent.

factual — Department of Homeland Security100% confidence

The shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez occurred on 15 March 2025.

factual — Article100% confidence

A grand jury rejected indictments over the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez by a federal immigration agent.

factual — prosecutors100% confidence

The shooting would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since a nationwide immigration crackdown.

factual — Article90% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Associated Press 35% Donald Trump 40% South Padre Island 50% Joshua Orta ×470% Texas ×270% Homeland Security Investigations ×275% Department of Homeland Security ×280% Ruben Ray Martinez ×690%

Keywords

fatal shooting 95% indictment rejected 90% grand jury 90% federal officer 80% us citizen 70% homeland security investigations 70% defensive shots 60% traffic encounter 60% immigration crackdown 50%