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

One of the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” criminals has been captured after a decade on the run.

Alejandro Rosales Castillo, wanted for the 2016 murder of his 23-year-old co-worker, was caught in Mexico on Jan. 16, according to a release from the FBI. 

Castillo crossed the border from Nogales, Ariz., into Mexico on Aug. 16, 2016, officials said. 

He was captured nearly 10 years later in Hidalgo, Mexico, with the help of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Attaché Office in Mexico City, the Agencia de Investigación Criminal-INTERPOL Vetted Team and the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana.

Castillo was added to the wanted list on Oct. 24, 2017, per the FBI. He was charged with the murder of Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le of Charlotte, N.C., after her body was found on Aug. 17, 2016.

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

Castillo is being detained in Mexico City pending extradition proceedings to North Carolina.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that Castillo’s arrest is 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 the federal agency 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 of Castillo.

The special agent expressed his support for the victim’s family. “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,” he said. 

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson also spoke of the woman’s family, 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.”

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 also assisted.

Castillo was the 516th person to be placed on the wanted list. 

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

Per the podcast, Castillo was 17 years old when he allegedly murdered Le. The two were co-workers at a restaurant, and an investigation found that Castillo owed Le about $1,000.

Text messages between the two showed them agreeing to meet on Aug. 9, 2016, so Castillo could pay back the money. Instead, Castillo made Le withdraw more money from an ATM.

Castillo is believed to have then driven Le to the woods outside of Charlotte, where he allegedly shot her in the head. He took her car, which was found at a bus station in Phoenix on Aug. 15.

Shelley Lynch, a Public Affairs Specialist from FBI Charlotte, shared that officials believed Castillo was hiding in Mexico.

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NBC affiliate WRAL reported that Castillo and Le previously dated. After the alleged killing, Castillo fled the state in Le’s car with his new girlfriend, Ahmia Feaster, who turned herself in two months later in Mexico.

Feaster was charged with felony accessory after the fact and felony larceny of a motor vehicle, per 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 crime.