CHARLOTTE — The capture of FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Alejandro Rosales Castillo was announced Saturday morning.
FBI Charlotte Special Agent James C. Barnacle Jr. announced alongside Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson that Castillo was captured in Pachuaca, Hidalgo, Mexico.
The FBI and CMPD task force officers have been searching for Castillo for nearly ten years. He was added to the Most Wanted list in 2017. He is charged with murdering 23-year-old Charlotte woman Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le in 2016.
Surveillance video caught Castillo crossing the border into Mexico from his home state of Arizona the day before Ly Le’s body was found in a wooded area in Cabarrus County.
Castillo has been detained in Mexico City pending extradition proceedings in N.C.
He has incurred the additional charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution since the initial crime, FBI Charlotte officials shared.
The FBI Charlotte field office shared that they worked alongside CMPD for the last nine years to search for Castillo.
“The FBI and our partners at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have worked tirelessly to find and arrest Alex Castillo,” Barnacle Jr. said. “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.”
FBI Director Kash Patel commended the work from the Charlotte team as well as partners in Mexico.
“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,” Patel said. “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.”
Chief Patterson added that she hopes this will work to make Charlotte safer and send a message to those who seek to do harm.
“This case shows the power of collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level,” Patterson said. “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.”
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