x
Breaking News
More () »

Search for one inmate continues, three in custody after found to be missing from federal prison in Jefferson County

Four inmates were found to be missing on Jan. 12. Three of the inmates have been taken back into custody and one is still being sought.
Credit: KBMT/KJAC

BEAUMONT, Texas — UPDATE: Around 10:50 p.m. on Jan. 12, an inmate was found to be missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont.

The U.S. Marshals Service is searching for 40-year-old Covarrubia-Mendiola according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons news release. Anyone with information related to the man is asked to contact the United States Marshals Service at (713) 718-4800.

Original story:  

Three inmates at the federal prison in Beaumont escaped Saturday, but 12News has learned they have since been caught.

On Saturday, January 12, 2019, around 6:10 p.m., three inmates were found to be missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons news release. The missing inmates were identified and were taken back into custody and returned to the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont according to the release.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office received a call about a suspicious person walking around the prison. When they arrived on scene, they found two men walking behind the prison.

We reported another escape in January 2018. Jefferson County deputies and U.S. Marshals arrested Joshua Hansen, 25, of Dallas, outside the prison as he was running back to the prison with a bag of contraband items.

RELATED | JAN 2018: Escaped federal inmate busted running back to prison with bag of booze, snacks, home-cooked food

Joshua Hansen, who was serving a federal prison sentence for narcotics charges, was arrested and booked in the Jefferson County Correctional Center on charges of escape and possession of marijuana, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

This is a developing story. Stay with 12News as we continue to monitor this situation. 

From a Federal Bureau of Prisons news release.

Inmate Walk Aways from Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas 

Beaumont, TX: On Saturday, January 12, 2019, at approximately 6:10 p.m., three inmates were discovered missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas. Shortly after identifying the missing inmates, all three inmates were taken back into custody and returned to the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas. 

At approximately 10:50 p.m., inmate Covarrubia-Mendiola was discovered missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas. Mr. Covarrubia-Mendiola is a 40- year old White male with brown hair, brown eyes, 5’11” tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds. The United States Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies were notified and an internal investigation was initiated. Anyone with information related to this individual should contact the United States Marshals Service at (713) 718-4800. 

Mr. Covarrubia-Mendiola was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to 69 months for Importing a Quantity of Cocaine; Possessing with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine; Conspiracy to Violate 8 U.S.C. 1324 (A) (1) (A) (II); and Bringing in Illegal Aliens. 

The Satellite Prison Camp at FCC Beaumont is a minimum security facility that currently houses 534 male offenders in Beaumont, Texas. Additional information about the Federal Bureau of Prisons can be found at www.bop.gov. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out