A decade-long manhunt has ended after federal and Mexican officials captured Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Alejandro “Alex” Rosales Castillo.
Castillo was seen on surveillance video crossing the border from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico on August 16, 2016.
For nearly ten years, special agents and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department task force officers in Charlotte have worked countless hours to locate Castillo, ultimately uncovering where he has been hiding the past several years.
Castillo was captured in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 16, 2026.
Castillo is charged with murdering 23-year-old Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le. The Charlotte, North Carolina, woman’s body was found on August 17, 2016, in a wooded area in Cabarrus County. A state arrest warrant was issued in the District Court of North Carolina, for Mecklenburg County, on November 2, 2016, charging Castillo with first-degree murder. On February 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.
“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. When you have an administration who gives law enforcement the support to execute the mission, they get the job done like nobody else. 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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
Castillo was added to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on October 24, 2017.
“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. 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,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr.
The FBI’s Law Enforcement Attache Office in Mexico City coordinated with Agencia de Investigación Criminal-INTERPOL Vetted Team and the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana. Castillo is detained in Mexico City pending extradition proceedings to North Carolina.
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“This case shows the power of collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “Working together, CMPD and our partners will go to great lengths to hunt fugitives down and ensure justice is served. 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.”
The FBI Charlotte Field Office and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department appreciate the assistance of the Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Field Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the Government of Mexico, the FBI Law Enforcement Attache Office in Mexico City, 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.
“Those who engage in violence will not get away with it — no matter how hard they try. This case is a testament that we will never give up our pursuit of justice,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was established in March 1950. Since then, 537 fugitives have been placed on the list, and 499 have been apprehended or located. Castillo was the 516th person to be placed on the list. Additional information concerning Castillo and the FBI’s list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten.
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