Texas grand jury declines to indict immigration agent in South Padre Island killing of San Antonio man

Grand jury returns “no bill” in March 2025 shooting

A Cameron County grand jury has declined to indict a federal immigration agent in the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old San Antonio resident who died after a traffic encounter on South Padre Island on March 15, 2025. The decision, commonly referred to as a “no bill,” means jurors did not find probable cause to bring criminal charges based on the evidence presented.

The district attorney’s office indicated the case was presented to the grand jury on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. A “no bill” does not prevent prosecutors from seeking charges later, though such moves are uncommon and typically depend on new evidence or a different legal theory.

What records say happened during the encounter

Federal records describing the incident place it shortly after midnight, when agents and local officers were involved in traffic control near the scene of a serious vehicle crash. The records describe a vehicle approaching a controlled intersection, officers issuing verbal commands, and agents surrounding the vehicle while ordering the driver to exit.

In the federal account, the driver then accelerated and struck an agent, who ended up on the hood. Another agent fired multiple rounds through the open driver-side window. Martinez was taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, where he was pronounced dead. The agent described as having been struck was treated for a knee injury and released.

Conflicting accounts and a key witness’s death

The public record also includes accounts that dispute the federal description of the moments before the gunfire. A written statement from Martinez’s passenger, Joshua Orta, described a chaotic scene with conflicting directions and said the vehicle was barely moving when shots were fired. Orta later died in a separate vehicle crash in San Antonio in February 2026, as the Martinez family was preparing civil litigation.

The case has drawn attention in part because the federal involvement was not publicly confirmed for months after the shooting.

Outstanding questions: video, jurisdiction, and transparency

Local police officers at the scene were equipped with body cameras, but video evidence has not been publicly released. Authorities have cited an ongoing state investigation led by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers. The Rangers’ investigative status and any forthcoming public findings remain central to calls for greater disclosure from the Martinez family and public officials.

• Date of shooting: March 15, 2025
• Location: South Padre Island, Cameron County
• Victim: Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, San Antonio resident
• Grand jury action: No indictment returned on Feb. 25, 2026

With the criminal case not moving forward at this stage, the next developments are expected to center on the release of investigative materials, including any available video, and the progress of potential civil claims by Martinez’s family.