FBI Ten Mosted Wanted fugitive captured in Mexico

FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive Alejandro “Alex” Rosales Castillo, accused of killing a Charlotte woman in 2016, was captured in Mexico on Friday after nearly 10 years on the run, the FBI announced Saturday.

“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,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr.

Castillo was captured in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico on Jan. 16, 2026, authorities said. He is detained in Mexico City and is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina.

Castillo was added to the Ten Most Wanted list on Oct. 24, 2017. He is charged with murdering 23-year-old Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le, whose body was found on Aug. 17, 2026 in a wooded area in Cabarrus County.

“Alejandro Castillo’s arrest is the fifth Ten Most Wanted Fugitive captured under this administration and this FBI since last year – more than the entire previous four years combined. That’s no accident,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “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.”

Castillo was seen on surveillance video crossing the border from Nogales, Arizona to Mexico on Aug. 16, 2016.

A state arrest warrant was issued in the District Court of North Carolina, for Mecklenburg County on Nov. 2, 2016, charging Castillo with first-degree murder. On Feb. 10, 2017, a federal arrest warrant was issued in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, charging Castillo with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

“This case shows the power of collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “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.”