FBI Captures Alejandro Rosales Castillo, One of Its ‘10 Most Wanted’ Fugitives, a Decade After Alleged Crimes

One of the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” fugitives has been captured nearly a decade after investigators say he fled the United States following a murder in North Carolina.

Alejandro Rosales Castillo — wanted in connection with the 2016 killing of his 23-year-old co-worker — was arrested in Hidalgo, Mexico on Jan. 16, according to the FBI. Officials said Castillo crossed into Mexico from Nogales, Arizona on Aug. 16, 2016.

The FBI said the arrest was carried out with assistance from the FBI’s Law Enforcement Attaché Office in Mexico City, the Agencia de Investigación Criminal–INTERPOL Vetted Team, and Mexico’s Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana.

Castillo was added to the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” list on Oct. 24, 2017. Authorities allege he murdered Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le of Charlotte, N.C., whose body was discovered on Aug. 17, 2016.

A state warrant was issued on Nov. 2, 2016, charging Castillo with first-degree murder. A federal warrant followed on Feb. 10, 2017, accusing him of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The FBI said Castillo is now being held in Mexico City while extradition proceedings move forward to North Carolina.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that Castillo’s arrest marks the fifth “10 Most Wanted” fugitive captured since last year. “This was outstanding work by our Charlotte team, FBI Legat Mexico, local and federal partners, and partners in Mexico — and we can now begin the process of delivering long-awaited justice for Sandy Ly Le’s family,” Patel said.

FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said investigators with the FBI and 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,” Barnacle said. He added that the victim’s family has endured years of loss: “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 also referenced the family’s grief, saying, “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.”

Authorities said multiple agencies assisted, including Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Field Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the Government of Mexico, the FBI International Operations Division, the FBI Criminal Division, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.

The FBI noted Castillo was the 516th person placed on the “10 Most Wanted” list.

In a 2023 episode of the FBI’s Inside the FBI podcast, host Ellen Ferrante said the reward for information leading to Castillo’s arrest had been increased from $100,000 to up to $250,000.

According to that podcast, Castillo was 17 at the time of the alleged killing. Investigators said he and Le worked together at a restaurant and that Castillo owed her roughly $1,000.

Text messages showed the pair planned to meet on Aug. 9, 2016, so Castillo could repay the money, authorities said. Instead, investigators alleged he pressured Le to withdraw additional cash from an ATM.

Authorities believe Castillo then drove Le to a wooded area outside Charlotte, where he allegedly shot her in the head. Investigators said he took her car, which was later found at a Phoenix bus station on Aug. 15.

Shelley Lynch, a public affairs specialist with FBI Charlotte, said authorities believed Castillo had been hiding in Mexico.

NBC affiliate WRAL reported that Castillo and Le previously dated. The outlet said Castillo allegedly fled the state in Le’s vehicle with his new girlfriend, Ahmia Feaster, who later turned herself in in Mexico about two months afterward.

Feaster was charged with felony accessory after the fact and felony larceny of a motor vehicle, according to the outlet.

Local outlet WJZY reported in 2017 that a third person, Felipe Ulloa, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder in connection with the case.