The Department of Homeland Security said the 23-year-old, who came from a family of Trump supporters, was shot after intentionally hitting an agent with his vehicle on South Padre Island.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the state’s justice system.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texan shot dead by ICE agent months before killings in Minneapolis, records show
The involvement of federal immigration agents in the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez on South Padre Island in March had not been disclosed in initial reports.
Posted in
Immigration
Cuban man’s death at El Paso tent camp was result of “spontaneous use of force,” ICE says
His death is the first homicide in ICE custody in recent history, experts said. It comes after the deadliest year in ICE detention in decades.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses Dallas of spending too little on police
In a new lawsuit, Paxton accused city officials of under-calculating how much money should go to law enforcement under a voter-backed provision.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals primaries: Who is running and what to know
The criminal court decides death penalty case appeals and rules on petitions for those who believe they’ve been wrongfully detained. Here’s a look at who’s running for the court’s three seats on the 2026 ballot.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
“Rule follower”: In GOP primary, Joan Huffman promises to bring law and order to the attorney general’s office
Huffman is running on her criminal prosecution experience and allegiance to the rule of law, cutting a contrast with her opponents who are emphasizing a continuation of Paxton’s culture war battles.
Posted in
Immigration
After El Paso’s ME ruled migrant’s death a homicide, ICE sent the next body to an Army hospital
ICE bypassed the county medical examiner in favor of a military facility for the autopsy of a Nicaraguan man and won’t release a ruling to the public.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas jails have more than 400 pregnant inmates monthly. The state is trying to understand what happens to them.
As a part of a yearlong study, Texas county jails are collecting data about pregnant inmates’ prenatal care, mental health indicators, pregnancy outcomes and more.
Posted in
Immigration
Two CBP agents identified in Alex Pretti shooting are from South Texas
Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez fired on Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis last month, according to government records viewed by ProPublica.
Posted in
Immigration
After a death at an El Paso ICE facility was ruled a homicide, will prosecutors pursue a criminal case?
Because Geraldo Lunas Campos died at a military base, the El Paso District Attorney says any criminal case may fall to federal prosecutors. But criminal law experts say the state doesn’t have to defer to them.