Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male, Hispanic/Latino, was shot and killed on May 18, 2025, in Pecos, Texas, at the Wild West Trucking yard on County Road 401. Deputies with the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call and found Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male, deceased from a single gunshot wound to the head. Public reports identify Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male, as originally from Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico. The killing happened during a gathering at the yard, where witnesses later told investigators that a mechanic living on the property retrieved a handgun before the shot was fired.
Authorities arrested 35-year-old Salvador Cervantes-Ortiz, a diesel mechanic who lived in an RV on the company property, on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male. Investigators say Cervantes-Ortiz retrieved a. 380-caliber handgun from his RV, loaded it in front of others, pointed it at Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male, and fired once. He initially fled the yard but later returned and surrendered without incident. He was booked into the Reeves County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond, and records indicate an immigration detainer was placed on him. Agencies assisting included the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, and Pecos Police Department.
In the days after May 18, local news summarized the case as an isolated workplace shooting with no evidence of gang involvement, while memorial pages recorded the passing of Jose Marin-Ramos, age 36, male, in Pecos on the same date. Reporting consistently places the shooting at the Wild West Trucking yard and names Salvador Cervantes-Ortiz as the suspect who was taken into custody soon after. As of the latest coverage, the investigation remained active under county and state authorities, with the murder charge pending in Reeves County.
