Overview
- Prosecutors said a Cameron County grand jury returned a no bill on Wednesday after reviewing the case involving Martinez’s March 15, 2025 death on South Padre Island.
- DHS maintains that an agent fired defensive shots after Martinez allegedly ran over another agent, an account outlined in internal ICE records released through FOIA.
- Federal involvement in the shooting was not publicly known until those internal records surfaced nearly a year later, triggering renewed scrutiny.
- The only known civilian witness, Joshua Orta, died in a San Antonio car crash over the weekend; attorneys plan to rely on his dictated but unsigned statement asserting Martinez did not hit anyone and that shots were fired without warning.
- Elected officials, including Rep. Joaquin Castro and San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, have demanded the release of any video and greater transparency, while DHS stands by its account.