When will the full Border Patrol body‑cam footage in the Marimar Martinez case be publicly released and where can it be viewed?
Executive summary
Federal prosecutors have told a court they will no longer oppose releasing the Border Patrol body‑worn camera footage that shows the moments leading up to the Oct. 4 traffic crash connected to the Marimar Martinez shooting, but the full video has not yet been made public and no firm release date or distribution channel has been set by the court or government [1] [2]. A judge’s ruling on lifting the protective order — the key legal step before public dissemination — was expected in early February 2026, and the timing of any public posting depends on that court process and any remaining redactions or protective conditions [3] [4].
1. How the release process reached this moment
Prosecutors filed a response saying they will not oppose lifting the protective order on the body‑worn camera footage that captures the moments before the Brighton Park crash, a pivot from earlier litigation in which the government sought to keep the footage sealed [2] [5]. That change followed pretrial litigation and hearings in federal court stemming from the Oct. 4 incident that left Marimar Martinez wounded and initially charged by the government before prosecutors moved to dismiss the case [4] [6].
2. What the footage reportedly contains — and what it does not
Reporting indicates the body‑cam footage in question depicts the minutes leading up to the collision but, according to filings and news accounts, it does not show the shooting itself because the agent who fired was not wearing an activated body camera at the time of the shooting [2] [7]. Defense lawyers have said the available camera angles appear to contradict the government’s initial claims about Martinez’s driving; that claim underlies part of the push to unseal the video [8] [9].
3. The immediate legal hurdle: protective orders and the judge’s decision
A federal judge previously denied a release request in December 2025 and ordered the footage withheld, illustrating the court’s gatekeeping role when evidence is subject to protective orders [4]. Local reporting noted a subsequent hearing with a ruling expected Feb. 4, 2026, making that date — or the judge’s written order that follows — the decisive moment for whether and when the footage becomes public [3] [10].
4. What prosecutors are still resisting and why it matters
Even as prosecutors agreed not to block the body‑cam video’s release, the U.S. attorney’s office has signaled it will oppose disclosing certain materials — notably text messages by the shooting agent that have not already been made public — arguing those messages are irrelevant to Martinez’s defense [2]. Those remaining objections could slow or complicate a wholesale public release if the court must weigh selective redactions or narrowly tailored relief.
5. Where the video will likely appear — and what remains uncertain
There is no source in the reporting that sets a definitive platform, timestamp, or URL for public viewing; the footage’s release is conditioned on court action and whatever terms the judge imposes (no source). If the judge lifts the protective order, customary practice in federal cases is for evidence to be filed on court dockets or for news organizations to publish copies obtained from court filings or defense/prosecution disclosures, but the reporting provided does not confirm how this particular footage will be distributed once unsealed [2] [1].
6. Bottom line and immediate watch points
As of the latest reporting, the full body‑worn camera footage has not been released to the public; prosecutors say they will not oppose lifting the protective order, and a judicial ruling expected in early February 2026 is the pivotal event that will determine timing and any conditions on release [1] [2] [3]. There is no authoritative published date or guaranteed viewing location in the available sources, so monitoring the federal docket for filings in the Martinez matter and mainstream local and national outlets that covered the hearings is the practical way to find the footage once the court acts [4] [10].