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Newly uncovered records reveal a 23-year-old US citizen, Ruben Ray Martinez, was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent during a late-night traffic stop in Texas — and the Department of Homeland Security never publicly disclosed it. Officials say he drove at an agent. His family says there’s video that tells a different story. Eleven months. No announcement. An “active” investigation. What really happened on that dark stretch of road in South Padre Island?

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US citizen shot and killed by federal immigration agent last year, new records show

Shooting death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, in Texas was not publicly disclosed by Department of Homeland Security

Newly released records show a US citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.

The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of a nationwide immigration crackdown in Donald Trump’s second term. On Friday, DHS said the shooting on South Padre Island last March occurred after the driver intentionally struck an agent.

The shooting involved a Homeland Security Investigations team that was conducting an immigration enforcement operation in conjunction with local police, according to documents obtained by American Oversight, a non-profit watchdog group based in Washington.

The records are part of a tranche of heavily redacted internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the non-profit obtained as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Though Martinez’s death on 15 March 2025 was reported by local media outlets at the time, federal and state authorities did not disclose that the shooting involved the team from HSI. In a statement Friday, DHS said the driver who was killed “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent”, resulting in another agent firing “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public”.

The department did not respond to questions about why it had made no media release or other public notification of the officer-involved shooting over the last 11 months.

Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, said her son was just days past his 23rd birthday when he and his best friend drove from San Antonio down to the beach for the weekend to celebrate. South Padre Island, located on the Gulf coast just north of the US-Mexico border, is a renowned spring break destination that attracts tens of thousands of college-aged partiers each March.

According to an internal two-page ICE incident report included in the newly disclosed documents, shortly after midnight, HSI officers were assisting South Padre Island police by redirecting traffic through a busy intersection after a vehicle accident with several injuries.

A blue, four-door Ford with a driver and passenger approached the officers, who ordered the driver to stop. The report does not say why. Initially, the driver didn’t respond to commands but did eventually come to a stop, according to the report.

Agents then surrounded the vehicle, telling those inside to get out, but the driver “accelerated forward” and struck an HSI special agent “who wound up on the hood of the vehicle”, the report said. An HSI supervisory special agent standing by the side of the car then fired his weapon multiple times through the open driver’s-side window, and the vehicle stopped.

Paramedics already on the scene of the accident quickly provided medical aid and the driver was taken by ambulance to a regional hospital in Brownsville, where he was pronounced dead, according to the report. The passenger, also a US citizen, was taken into custody.

The HSI officer whom the report says was struck by the vehicle was treated for an unspecified knee injury at a nearby hospital and released.

The names of the two HSI agents involved in the shooting and the names of the two men in the car were all redacted from the ICE report, but Reyes confirmed the driver was her son. She said he was shot three times.

Reyes said she first learned her son had been shot by a federal agent, rather than a local police officer, about a week after he was killed. She was contacted by an investigator from the Texas Rangers, the lead agency looking into the shooting. Reyes said the investigator told her there were videos of the shooting that contradicted the account provided by federal agents. DHS did not immediately respond to an email Friday about the claim that there is video showing a different account.

She said she was told by the investigator that the state report into the shooting was completed in October and that the case would be presented to a grand jury for potential criminal charges.

The Texas department of public safety, which includes the Rangers, said in a statement Friday that the investigation into the shooting was still “active” and declined to offer more information.

An incredible self-own

In 1936, John Scott, son of the late Guardian owner and legendary editor CP Scott, did something unheard of for a media heir: he gave up his stake for the greater good.

After inheriting the newspaper, Scott renounced all financial benefit – bar his salary – in the Guardian (worth £1m at the time and around £62m today) and passed ownership over to the newly formed Scott Trust. The Trust would evolve to have one key mission: to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity.

That means the Guardian can’t be bought. Not by private equity, not by a conglomerate, and definitely not by a billionaire looking for a political mouthpiece.

Our independence means we can say what we want, report on who we want, challenge who we want, and stand up at a time when others are sitting down.

But this unique model also means we depend on readers like you from Vietnam to help fund our work. If you would rather the news you read was the result of decisions made by journalists and editors, not shareholders or ultra-wealthy tech bros, then, well, you know what to do:

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For 18 years, my husband never touched me after my affair—until a routine exam exposed something done to my body while I was unconscious. When my infidelity came out, Michael didn’t yell. He didn’t throw things. He didn’t even insult me. He erased me. We stayed married on paper. Shared a house. Shared bills. Ate at the same table. But we slept in separate rooms. Never brushed hands in the hallway. Never let shadows overlap. I told myself it was mercy. That his silence was kinder than rage. That this cold, careful distance was the punishment I deserved. Eighteen years of quiet atonement. Then, at a routine post-retirement physical, everything cracked. Dr. Evans turned the ultrasound screen toward herself, her expression tightening. “Susan,” she said slowly, “I need to ask you something directly. How has your intimate life been over the last 18 years?” My face burned. “Nonexistent,” I whispered. “We haven’t shared a bed since 2008.” She frowned. “Then this doesn’t make sense.” On the screen were images I didn’t understand—white streaks, hardened lines. “I’m seeing significant calcified scarring on your uterine wall,” she continued carefully. “Evidence of an invasive procedure. Are you absolutely certain you’ve never had surgery?” My fingers went numb. “I’ve never had surgery,” I said. “I had one child. Natural birth. That’s it.” She held my gaze. “The imaging doesn’t lie. Go home. Ask your husband.” And suddenly… 2008 came rushing back. After the affair was exposed, I spiraled. Guilt swallowed me whole. One night, I took too many sleeping pills. I remember flashing hospital lights. A dull ache in my lower abdomen when I woke up. Michael sitting beside me. Holding my hand. “Don’t worry,” he’d said gently. “The pain is from pumping your stomach.” I believed him. Because I thought I owed him my life. I drove home from the clinic shaking. Michael was in his chair, reading the paper with that same unreadable expression he’d worn for nearly two decades. “Michael,” I said, my voice breaking, “what happened to me in 2008?” The newspaper slipped from his hands. “For 18 years I’ve punished myself,” I sobbed. “But while I was unconscious… what did you let them do to my body?” His face drained of color. I stepped closer. “Why is there a scar inside me I don’t remember getting?” Michael turned away. And for the first time in 18 years— his shoulders started shaking. 👇 Full story in the first comment
For 18 years, my husband never touched me after my affair—until a routine exam exposed something done to my body while I was unconscious. When my infidelity came out, Michael didn’t yell. He didn’t throw things. He didn’t even insult me. He erased me. We stayed married on paper. Shared a house. Shared bills. Ate at the same table. But we slept in separate rooms. Never brushed hands in the hallway. Never let shadows overlap. I told myself it was mercy. That his silence was kinder than rage. That this cold, careful distance was the punishment I deserved. Eighteen years of quiet atonement. Then, at a routine post-retirement physical, everything cracked. Dr. Evans turned the ultrasound screen toward herself, her expression tightening. “Susan,” she said slowly, “I need to ask you something directly. How has your intimate life been over the last 18 years?” My face burned. “Nonexistent,” I whispered. “We haven’t shared a bed since 2008.” She frowned. “Then this doesn’t make sense.” On the screen were images I didn’t understand—white streaks, hardened lines. “I’m seeing significant calcified scarring on your uterine wall,” she continued carefully. “Evidence of an invasive procedure. Are you absolutely certain you’ve never had surgery?” My fingers went numb. “I’ve never had surgery,” I said. “I had one child. Natural birth. That’s it.” She held my gaze. “The imaging doesn’t lie. Go home. Ask your husband.” And suddenly… 2008 came rushing back. After the affair was exposed, I spiraled. Guilt swallowed me whole. One night, I took too many sleeping pills. I remember flashing hospital lights. A dull ache in my lower abdomen when I woke up. Michael sitting beside me. Holding my hand. “Don’t worry,” he’d said gently. “The pain is from pumping your stomach.” I believed him. Because I thought I owed him my life. I drove home from the clinic shaking. Michael was in his chair, reading the paper with that same unreadable expression he’d worn for nearly two decades. “Michael,” I said, my voice breaking, “what happened to me in 2008?” The newspaper slipped from his hands. “For 18 years I’ve punished myself,” I sobbed. “But while I was unconscious… what did you let them do to my body?” His face drained of color. I stepped closer. “Why is there a scar inside me I don’t remember getting?” Michael turned away. And for the first time in 18 years— his shoulders started shaking. 👇 Full story in the first comment

After I had an affair, my husband never touched me again. For eighteen years, we lived like strangers,…

You could catch measles from an “empty room” — and it’s spreading fast in Salt Lake County. Health officials say cases are climbing, with 28 confirmed so far this year — compared to just four last year. And nearly all infections are in people who aren’t vaccinated. Here’s the chilling part: measles can linger in the air for up to two hours. Walk into a room where an infected person was earlier, and if you’re unvaccinated, experts say you have up to a 90% chance of catching it. Exposure sites now include schools and even Salt Lake City International Airport. Symptoms start like a cold — cough, fever, red eyes — which means many people don’t realize they’re contagious until the rash appears. Officials warn cases will continue rising, especially among the unvaccinated. Quarantines are already in place at local schools. They’re urging anyone who feels sick to stay home immediately. Details in the comments 👇
You could catch measles from an “empty room” — and it’s spreading fast in Salt Lake County. Health officials say cases are climbing, with 28 confirmed so far this year — compared to just four last year. And nearly all infections are in people who aren’t vaccinated. Here’s the chilling part: measles can linger in the air for up to two hours. Walk into a room where an infected person was earlier, and if you’re unvaccinated, experts say you have up to a 90% chance of catching it. Exposure sites now include schools and even Salt Lake City International Airport. Symptoms start like a cold — cough, fever, red eyes — which means many people don’t realize they’re contagious until the rash appears. Officials warn cases will continue rising, especially among the unvaccinated. Quarantines are already in place at local schools. They’re urging anyone who feels sick to stay home immediately. Details in the comments 👇

If you’re feeling sick, it could be measles, Salt Lake County health officials warn Measles is actively spreading…

It’s not just loud noise — a hidden “self-destruct switch” inside your ear cells may be what’s really causing permanent hearing loss. For years, scientists believed key hearing proteins were only responsible for turning sound vibrations into electrical signals. But new research presented at the Biophysical Society annual meeting reveals something far more alarming: those same proteins may also control whether your inner ear cells live… or die. Deep inside the ear are delicate “hair cells” that never regenerate. Once they’re gone, hearing loss is permanent. Researchers studying proteins called TMC1 and TMC2 — long linked to genetic deafness — discovered they have a second, hidden job. They act as “lipid scramblases,” shuffling fatty molecules across cell membranes. When that process malfunctions — due to genetic mutations, loud noise, or even certain antibiotics — it can trigger a cellular distress signal. The membrane destabilizes. The cell begins to break down. And the hair cell dies. That may explain why some people lose hearing after taking common medications like aminoglycoside antibiotics. Scientists once thought the drugs blocked hearing channels. Now it appears they may activate this membrane-disrupting function instead — flipping a biological switch that tells the cell to self-destruct. Even more surprising? Cholesterol levels inside the membrane seem to influence this deadly process — hinting that future therapies might one day target membrane chemistry to protect hearing. The discovery changes how experts understand deafness. It’s not just damage. It’s a hidden mechanism inside the cell itself. And if researchers can learn how to turn that switch off, permanent hearing loss might not have to be permanent forever. Details in the comments 👇
It’s not just loud noise — a hidden “self-destruct switch” inside your ear cells may be what’s really causing permanent hearing loss. For years, scientists believed key hearing proteins were only responsible for turning sound vibrations into electrical signals. But new research presented at the Biophysical Society annual meeting reveals something far more alarming: those same proteins may also control whether your inner ear cells live… or die. Deep inside the ear are delicate “hair cells” that never regenerate. Once they’re gone, hearing loss is permanent. Researchers studying proteins called TMC1 and TMC2 — long linked to genetic deafness — discovered they have a second, hidden job. They act as “lipid scramblases,” shuffling fatty molecules across cell membranes. When that process malfunctions — due to genetic mutations, loud noise, or even certain antibiotics — it can trigger a cellular distress signal. The membrane destabilizes. The cell begins to break down. And the hair cell dies. That may explain why some people lose hearing after taking common medications like aminoglycoside antibiotics. Scientists once thought the drugs blocked hearing channels. Now it appears they may activate this membrane-disrupting function instead — flipping a biological switch that tells the cell to self-destruct. Even more surprising? Cholesterol levels inside the membrane seem to influence this deadly process — hinting that future therapies might one day target membrane chemistry to protect hearing. The discovery changes how experts understand deafness. It’s not just damage. It’s a hidden mechanism inside the cell itself. And if researchers can learn how to turn that switch off, permanent hearing loss might not have to be permanent forever. Details in the comments 👇

A hidden reason inner ear cells die—and what it means for preventing hearing loss Sensory hair cells of…

Your wife’s pain might actually last longer than yours — and science says it’s not “overreacting.” For generations, women have been told they’re too sensitive. Too emotional. Too dramatic about pain. But new research suggests something husbands need to hear: women’s bodies may not shut pain off as quickly as men’s. A recent study in Science Immunology found that after the same physical trauma, men and women report similar pain at first — but months later, men tend to recover faster. Why? Their immune systems may produce higher levels of a molecule that literally switches off pain signals.
Your wife’s pain might actually last longer than yours — and science says it’s not “overreacting.” For generations, women have been told they’re too sensitive. Too emotional. Too dramatic about pain. But new research suggests something husbands need to hear: women’s bodies may not shut pain off as quickly as men’s. A recent study in Science Immunology found that after the same physical trauma, men and women report similar pain at first — but months later, men tend to recover faster. Why? Their immune systems may produce higher levels of a molecule that literally switches off pain signals.

Why does women’s pain last longer than men’s? A new study offers an answer The research suggests that…

Her phone died at 4:35 a.m. in a dark park by Lake Michigan — and that’s when her family knew she wasn’t coming home. Nineteen-year-old Sade Robinson had just gone on a first date. By morning, a human leg was found in Warnimont Park. No weapon. No full body. No clear suspect. But Sade had one thing that would speak for her: a phone app. Life360 didn’t just show where she was — it showed everywhere she’d been. Detectives traced her final hours from restaurant security cameras to bar footage… then to the home of the last man seen with her: Maxwell Anderson. The app showed her car leaving his house after midnight. It never made it home. Instead, surveillance captured the vehicle circling the city for hours. At 2:53 a.m., her phone arrived at the park. Grainy video shows a shadowy figure dragging something toward the lake. Hours later, Sade’s car was found burning. Investigators say the same silhouette seen near the fire later boarded a city bus — backpack still on — and this time, the camera caught his face clearly. Prosecutors built a case without a murder weapon. Without a full body. Without direct eyewitnesses. Even jurors admitted it wasn’t a “slam dunk.” Then they saw the deleted photos pulled from his phone. The verdict came fast: guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, and arson. Life without parole. But one piece of Sade has never been found. Her mother still calls it her daughter’s “crown.” And the lake hasn’t given it back. Full story in the comments 👇
Her phone died at 4:35 a.m. in a dark park by Lake Michigan — and that’s when her family knew she wasn’t coming home. Nineteen-year-old Sade Robinson had just gone on a first date. By morning, a human leg was found in Warnimont Park. No weapon. No full body. No clear suspect. But Sade had one thing that would speak for her: a phone app. Life360 didn’t just show where she was — it showed everywhere she’d been. Detectives traced her final hours from restaurant security cameras to bar footage… then to the home of the last man seen with her: Maxwell Anderson. The app showed her car leaving his house after midnight. It never made it home. Instead, surveillance captured the vehicle circling the city for hours. At 2:53 a.m., her phone arrived at the park. Grainy video shows a shadowy figure dragging something toward the lake. Hours later, Sade’s car was found burning. Investigators say the same silhouette seen near the fire later boarded a city bus — backpack still on — and this time, the camera caught his face clearly. Prosecutors built a case without a murder weapon. Without a full body. Without direct eyewitnesses. Even jurors admitted it wasn’t a “slam dunk.” Then they saw the deleted photos pulled from his phone. The verdict came fast: guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, and arson. Life without parole. But one piece of Sade has never been found. Her mother still calls it her daughter’s “crown.” And the lake hasn’t given it back. Full story in the comments 👇

A Wisconsin teen vanished after a first date. How a phone app and security video helped lead to…

The driver’s seat was burned solid — frozen in place — and that’s how a Milwaukee detective proved the killer was too tall to be the victim. When 19-year-old Sade Robinson vanished after a first date, her Honda Civic was found engulfed in flames. Most people saw a destroyed crime scene. One detective saw a snapshot. The fire had “locked” the driver’s seat exactly where it had been set. So investigators tracked down an identical model and started testing heights. An officer Robinson’s size couldn’t even reach the pedals. But a man over six feet tall? Perfect fit. That single, eerie detail helped shift suspicion toward the man she was last seen with — Maxwell Anderson. Prosecutors later argued the blaze wasn’t random. Forensics pointed to an accelerant inside the car. Surveillance cameras captured the Civic burning in the early morning hours. Human remains were recovered along Lake Michigan. What the flames destroyed, the seat preserved. Jurors heard about the “seat test” during the eight-day trial — along with phone data and surveillance footage — before finding Anderson guilty. He was sentenced to life without parole and has since filed an appeal. Now the chilling experiment is being revisited on 48 Hours, in an episode examining how one burned seat helped crack the case. A car reduced to ashes. A seat that couldn’t move. And a detail the killer never thought about. Full story in the comments 👇
The driver’s seat was burned solid — frozen in place — and that’s how a Milwaukee detective proved the killer was too tall to be the victim. When 19-year-old Sade Robinson vanished after a first date, her Honda Civic was found engulfed in flames. Most people saw a destroyed crime scene. One detective saw a snapshot. The fire had “locked” the driver’s seat exactly where it had been set. So investigators tracked down an identical model and started testing heights. An officer Robinson’s size couldn’t even reach the pedals. But a man over six feet tall? Perfect fit. That single, eerie detail helped shift suspicion toward the man she was last seen with — Maxwell Anderson. Prosecutors later argued the blaze wasn’t random. Forensics pointed to an accelerant inside the car. Surveillance cameras captured the Civic burning in the early morning hours. Human remains were recovered along Lake Michigan. What the flames destroyed, the seat preserved. Jurors heard about the “seat test” during the eight-day trial — along with phone data and surveillance footage — before finding Anderson guilty. He was sentenced to life without parole and has since filed an appeal. Now the chilling experiment is being revisited on 48 Hours, in an episode examining how one burned seat helped crack the case. A car reduced to ashes. A seat that couldn’t move. And a detail the killer never thought about. Full story in the comments 👇

Burned Car, Frozen Seat: Milwaukee Detective’s Odd Test Snared Killer Source: Wikipedia/ Praiawart, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons A…

Two men. Two separate incidents. Same mountain. Same day. The death toll at Heavenly Mountain Resort just climbed again after a 33-year-old man and a 58-year-old man died Friday in unrelated tragedies on the slopes near Lake Tahoe. Both incidents happened around midday. Ski patrol rushed each man down the mountain. Emergency crews from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District fought to save them. Neither survived. One was involved in a “serious incident” on the intermediate Orion Trail. The other suffered what officials described as a “serious medical event” on the Tamarack return trail. Authorities say the two cases are not connected. But the timing is haunting. These deaths come amid a grim stretch for the Tahoe region. Just days earlier, the body of 21-year-old college student Colin Kang was found near Northstar after he failed to return from a ski outing. Earlier this month, a deadly avalanche in the backcountry claimed multiple lives in one of California’s worst snow disasters in years. Now, another double tragedy at one of the area’s most popular resorts. As peak ski season continues, questions are mounting about conditions, safety, and what’s unfolding across the Sierra slopes this winter. Full story in the comments.
Two men. Two separate incidents. Same mountain. Same day. The death toll at Heavenly Mountain Resort just climbed again after a 33-year-old man and a 58-year-old man died Friday in unrelated tragedies on the slopes near Lake Tahoe. Both incidents happened around midday. Ski patrol rushed each man down the mountain. Emergency crews from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District fought to save them. Neither survived. One was involved in a “serious incident” on the intermediate Orion Trail. The other suffered what officials described as a “serious medical event” on the Tamarack return trail. Authorities say the two cases are not connected. But the timing is haunting. These deaths come amid a grim stretch for the Tahoe region. Just days earlier, the body of 21-year-old college student Colin Kang was found near Northstar after he failed to return from a ski outing. Earlier this month, a deadly avalanche in the backcountry claimed multiple lives in one of California’s worst snow disasters in years. Now, another double tragedy at one of the area’s most popular resorts. As peak ski season continues, questions are mounting about conditions, safety, and what’s unfolding across the Sierra slopes this winter. Full story in the comments.

Lake Tahoe Skiing Death Toll Rises After 2 People Die in Separate Incidents at Heavenly Resort Two men…