A Cameron County jury convicts Rogelio Martinez of capital murder in the death of Lt. Milton Resendez.

A capital-murder conviction is the jury's finding on guilt. It is not the punishment. Valley Central reports Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz is seeking the death penalty, and that the same jury is expected back the week of Oct. 19 to choose between death and life in prison without parole. Until that phase ends, Thursday's verdict is the judgment on the charge and not a sentence.

Valley Central reports a Cameron County jury finds Rogelio Martinez guilty of capital murder on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in the 2023 shooting death of San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez. The station reports the verdict follows nearly five hours of deliberation after almost a week of testimony, and that Resendez's family cries and embraces after it is read. KRGV reports closing arguments end Thursday morning and that jurors deliberate for over four hours. The two stations clock the deliberations differently. Both report the same guilty verdict on capital murder.

KRGV reports Resendez is fatally shot during a high-speed chase in Cameron County on Oct. 17, 2023. The station reports prosecutors say Martinez knows he is shooting at a police officer, and that they point to a recorded interview in which he admits firing at officers during the pursuit. Prosecutors argue he is close enough to see Resendez and know he is an officer, KRGV reports. Valley Central reports that in closing arguments District Attorney Luis Saenz describes Martinez as a cartel member, calls him a "coward," and tells jurors he "took a police officer's life." Those are arguments to the jury. The capital-murder verdict is what the jury returns.

Valley Central reports defense attorney Rigo Flores tells jurors they need to be certain Martinez intentionally kills Resendez, and that questions remain about what is happening inside the Ford Expedition when the shots are fired. KRGV reports the defense says there is reasonable doubt about who fires the shot that kills Resendez, questions why driver Rodrigo Espinosa-Valdez is never called to testify, and points to DNA evidence linking Espinosa-Valdez to the gun identified as the murder weapon. The station reports the defense also argues Martinez never intends to kill anyone and that the state fails to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. A defense theory about who fires is what the jury hears. It is not the verdict the jury returns.

San Benito Police Chief Mario Perea tells Valley Central, "It has been a long three years and sends a strong message that violence against law enforcement or anyone in this county won't be tolerated, so I'm happy with the decision," and, "I never want to go through anything like this again, but like I said, justice was served today." Valley Central reports Martinez's attorney, Edmund K. Cyganiewicz, declines to comment on the verdict because the punishment phase remains. "We still have another whole phase of the trial to go through, so it would be inappropriate to comment at this time," he says. The station reports prosecutors are seeking the death penalty and that the same jury is expected to begin the punishment phase the week of Oct. 19, choosing between death and life in prison without parole. KRGV reports the same choice and does not give the return date. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and on Thursday the jury finds the state has met that burden on the capital-murder count.