Details of the incident (occurred around March 2025 in Texas)

Victim: Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, a U.S. citizen born and raised in Texas.

Event: Ruben was sH๏τ and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an encounter. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agent fired “defensive sH๏τs” at Ruben’s vehicle because he “disregarded orders” and “intentionally drove his vehicle into the ICE agent.”

Reben was not an immigrant – he was a legal U.S. citizen.

Mother’s reaction – Rachel Reyes (Trump voter)
Rachel Reyes (Reben’s mother) spoke out for the first time on television in an exclusive interview with CBS News (reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez) in early March 2026 (approximately one year after the incident).

Her exact statements (quoted verbatim from CBS News):

She voted for Trump in 2024 and ᴀsserted:

“I don’t blame President Trump for the death of my son, because he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger.”

(I don’t blame President Trump for the death of my son, because he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger.)
She called for ICE reform and an end to “abuse of power and impunity”:

“I do think that something needs to be changed in that agency.”

(I think something needs to be changed in that agency.)
Regarding her greatest pain:

“The hardest part is not knowing the truth… I think just knowing the truth will give me closure.”

(The hardest part is not knowing the truth… I think just knowing the truth will give me closure.)
She ᴀsserted:

“I’m not a mother in denial. I’m just a mother in doubt, because I know my son and I know he’s not a threat.”
(I’m not a denying mother. I’m just a skeptical mother, because I know my son and I know he’s not a threat.)

Her family has a tradition of respecting law enforcement, but she demands transparency and accountability from ICE.

Current status (as of March 21, 2026)

The case is still under investigation; no charges have been filed against the ICE agent.

Rachel Reyes is calling on the public to support immigration reform to prevent a repeat of this tragedy.

She has not received a satisfactory answer from the federal government.

Video: