C.B.P. News Release

Texas CBP Officers Take Custody of Fugitive Escapee Wanted By U.S. Marshals

(Wednesday, April 15, 2009)

Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge took custody of an extradited U.S. citizen.

Mexico law enforcement authorities arrived at the B&M port of entry where they surrendered the fugitive to U.S. authorities.

On April 15, at 11:30 a.m., Mexico law enforcement authorities arrived at the Brownsville and Matamoros port of entry and surrendered Joshua Michael Mirka to CBP officers. Joshua Michael Mirka, a U.S. citizen, age 32 has been a resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico for the past two years. CBP officers, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office participated in this apprehension.

Checks of a CBP database by CBP officers identified Joshua Michael Mirka as the subject of an U.S. Marshals Service arrest warrant from Washington State. Mirka has outstanding warrants for a 2007 probation violation in a sexual assault of a child case as well as failure to register as a sex offender and escape from a Washington State corrections facility.

After his arrest, Mirka was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Joshua Michael Mirka was transported to the Cameron County Jail to await extradition to Olympia, Wash.

“CBP officers, the U.S. Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement authorities worked in unison to bring another wanted person back to face charges in the United States,â€