Alejandro Rosales Castillo was taken into custody in Mexico on Friday, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
The FBI says it has arrested Alejandro Rosales Castillo, a fugitive who had been on the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted list since 2017 in connection with the 2016 killing of his former co-worker, 23-year-old “Sandy” Ly Le, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Castillo was captured in Mexico on Friday.
“Alejandro Castillo is the fifth FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive captured since last year, more than the entire previous four years combined. That reflects leadership, not luck,” Patel said in a statement.
“When law enforcement is given clear backing and the freedom to act, results follow. The work of the FBI Charlotte field office, our state and local partners, and Mexican authorities was exceptional, and this arrest finally opens the door to long-overdue justice for Sandy Ly Le’s family.”
Rep. Pat Harrington, R-N.C., also welcomed the arrest and credited the agencies involved for sticking with the case.
“Nearly nine years after a Charlotte murder, the man responsible is finally in custody,” Harrington wrote on X. “Grateful for the persistence of [FBI Charlotte], CMPD, and our federal partners who never stopped working to bring justice home to North Carolina.”
In a press release, FBI Charlotte said Castillo was captured Friday in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. The field office said he is currently detained in Mexico and awaiting extradition to North Carolina.
“The FBI and our partners at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have worked tirelessly to find and arrest Alex Castillo. For more than nine years, he lived a normal life, likely believing he would never be captured, but our experienced investigators never gave up the hunt for justice,” FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said in a statement.
“Sadly, Sandy’s family began another new year without her. We hope knowing her accused killer is in custody will provide some level of solace now.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson said the case underscores what coordinated law enforcement efforts can achieve.
“This joint effort sends a clear message that those who commit violent crimes cannot outrun justice. Bringing this fugitive to justice makes Charlotte and other communities safer, and while nothing can heal the loss Sandy’s family has endured, we hope this step brings them some peace,” Patterson said in a statement.
Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, also weighed in, saying prosecutors and investigators will continue pursuing suspects in violent crimes regardless of how long it takes.
Authorities allege Castillo owed Le $1,000. Investigators say she vanished after agreeing to meet him at a gas station, and her vehicle was later located in Phoenix.
Castillo was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in October 2017. Two other suspects were charged in the case in 2017, according to WJZY.
Ahmia Feaster—who was initially reported missing—turned herself in to authorities in 2017 and was extradited from Mexico to North Carolina, WTXF-TV reported at the time. The outlet said Feaster faced multiple charges, including accessory charges tied to the killing.
A third person, Felipe Ulloa, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder in March 2017 in connection with Le’s death, WTXF-TV reported.
