U.S. Border Patrol Agents who Murdered Raymond Mattia, Tohono O'odham, Want Qualified Immunity

Raymond Mattia, Tohono O'odham

U.S. Border Patrol Agents who Murdered Raymond Mattia, Tohono O'odham, Want Qualified Immunity

Tohono O'odham Raymond Mattia's family said the U.S. Border Patrol is using an edited, redacted video of the agents murdering Raymond at his home on the Tohono O'odham Nation and the video is not reliable evidence.

By Courthouse News

SAN FRANCISO — A Ninth Circuit panel appeared unlikely on Wednesday to reverse the denial of qualified immunity to three Border Patrol agents who shot and killed an unarmed man on his front lawn in the Tohono O’odham Nation.

The family of Raymond Mattia, killed in 2023, says the three-judge panel cannot rely on “an edited and untested, incomplete and redacted body camera compilation” to challenge claims made in the lawsuit, which must be taken as fact at the motion to dismiss stage.

“They’ve killed the only other witness that’s a non-law enforcement officer to the interaction,” plaintiff attorney Ryan Stitt said in a San Francisco courtroom. “That places the plaintiffs in an impossible position.”

Continue reading at Courthouse News

https://courthousenews.com/border-patrol-agents-seek-qualified-immunity-for-killing-unarmed-native-american/

Ophelia Rivas, Raymond's lifelong friend, said the Border Patrol's military tactics are used on the people. The three border patrol agents and tribal police officer responsible for Raymond's murder have never been charged, Ofelia told Censored News in July.

Raymond was shot with 38 bullets, and 11 entered his body, in front of his home. His body showed the wounds of blunt force trauma and was marked with rifle butts and broken ribs.

Ophelia said, "Along the 62 miles of O’odham lands the border patrol has been using military fear tactics on the people, and all their activities are un-monitored.

"Because he spoke out about border patrol and tribal police corruption, unarmed hereditary ceremony leader Raymond Mattia Sr was shot and killed by United States military called the border patrol along with a non-American Indian Tohono O’odham Nation Police Officer.

"Thirty-eight (38) bullets were shot at Ray, eleven (11) bullets hit his body as Ray stood unarmed in front of his house. Their brutal Excessive Force attack on a dying man is recorded in the Tucson Medical Examiners Report as blunt force trauma, his body marked by rifle butts, with cuts on his head, his nose and face, broken 12th rib and broken right arm.

"The border patrol officers, Scott Whitehouse, Dan Sifuentes and Ivan Torralva, and Tohono O’odham tribal police Cedric Randle, were not charged for killing Ray.

"I live at my birth place, less than a quarter of a mile from the border where there are two graves of two women, an ancient community and burial place, and places used for ceremony purposes, hills and mountains and plant life and animal life.

"The double metal wall construction without discretion already bulldozed an ancient earth image destroying critical O’odham ancient history.

"The O’odham Rights and Human Rights work I strive to advocate is led by the ceremonial leaders and traditional Elders of my mother’s and father’s community for my great-great grandchildren and their survival.

"My ancestors defended our lands and way of life so I can exist today. 

"All my life long work is from personal witness, experience and through interaction with communities, as I do live on the reservation. All my research is documented and published. The integrity of my words and research should be credited appropriately and respectfully for the next generations. All that have used my words and work for self-promotion and glory will endure the consequence of the ancient authorities."

Read more of Ophelia's statement at Censored News.

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/08/us-border-patrol-agents-who-murdered.html

Before he was murdered, Raymond told Censored News that he had video taped U.S. Border Patrol agents running drugs across the border by his home with the cartels. After he submitted the video evidence, it disappeared.

The Legal Defense Fund explains qualified immunity, which would prevent the border patrol agents and tribal police officer from being held responsible and avoid the payment of money a civil case, unless they have broken the law.

"Qualified immunity has protected law enforcement officers and other government officials from being held accountable when they violate people’s constitutional rights for decades. The doctrine of qualified immunity allows state and local officials to avoid personal consequences related to their professional interactions unless they violate “clearly established law” and has been repeatedly used by police officers to escape accountability and civil liability for engaging in violent and abusive acts against the public. In practice, this often means that, unless there’s a case with nearly identical facts on the record, these officials can violate a person’s rights without being held personally responsible for their actions."

Copyright of Ophelia Rivas. Content may not be used without written permission, or in any way for revenues or profit.