Joshua Orta was a passenger in Ruben Ray Martinez's vehicle and the sole surviving witness to Martinez's fatal shooting by an ICE agent on South Padre Island in March 2025. Orta died in a car crash in San Antonio in February 2026.
Case
HSI agent Jack Stevens fatally shot U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez on South Padre Island in March 2025, saying Martinez's car struck a fellow agent. A grand jury declined to indict him, but body-camera footage shows the car moving very slowly, leaving the shooting disputed.
Role at the time: Passenger in Martinez's car and sole surviving witness, in statements to investigators and reporters before his death
Statement summary
Joshua Orta, the passenger and sole surviving witness, told investigators and the Martinez family's attorney that their car was "just crawling" as they tried to turn around and that Martinez did not hit anyone, contradicting the account that the shooting was a response to the car striking Agent Sosa.
“He also told us unequivocally that Ruben did not hit anyone.”
The case's fixed reference point is whether Stevens's use of force was justified. Orta's account directly disputes the key factual premise Stevens gave for firing — that the car struck Sosa — which condemns the shooting as unjustified rather than merely disputing a characterization of it.
Statement dates: February 20, 2026
Statement dates: February 20, 2026
Statement dates: February 20, 2026
