Joshua Orta, the sole passenger who witnessed the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Texas, has died in a separate car accident, according to reports. Orta, 25, was in the passenger seat when his friend Martinez, 23, was shot multiple times by an ICE agent on March 15, 2025, after federal authorities said he failed to comply with orders to exit his vehicle.

Orta had planned to provide a witness statement contradicting the government's account of the shooting before his death in an unrelated car crash this past weekend. His written statement, taken in September by lawyers representing Martinez's family, detailed a version of events where the two friends did not resist law enforcement and were attempting to comply with commands when the situation escalated. Orta was preparing to sign the statement and cooperate with investigators hired by Martinez's family.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Texas Rangers, and it's unclear whether Orta's absence will impact the probe. Martinez's killing occurred months before other high-profile incidents involving federal immigration agents, including the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The loss of Orta as a critical eyewitness raises questions about the investigation's completeness and the public's ability to fully understand the circumstances surrounding Martinez's death.