Who Is Alejandro Rosales Castillo? One of FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives Caught in Mexico

Alejandro Rosales Castillo, one of FBI’s 10 most wanted, arrested in Mexico for 2016 murder of Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le. He faces extradition on charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Mexican security forces have arrested Alejandro Rosales Castillo, a man long sought by US authorities for the 2016 murder of a young woman in North Carolina. Castillo, who had been placed on the FBI’s list of 10 most wanted fugitives, was captured on Friday in Pachuca, a city about 50 miles northeast of Mexico City, bringing an end to nearly a decade-long international manhunt.

A Fugitive on America’s Most Wanted List

For years, Alejandro Rosales Castillo was one of the most recognisable names on the FBI’s fugitive roster. The 27-year-old American had been accused of killing Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le, a 23-year-old restaurant co-worker in Charlotte, North Carolina. The FBI had offered a reward of $250,000 for information leading to his capture, describing him as dangerous and possibly hiding in Mexico.

Announcing the arrest, Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said on social media that Castillo had “a red notice and an arrest warrant for extradition” and is charged with “first-degree murder, armed robbery, vehicle theft and kidnapping.”

The FBI confirmed that he was taken into custody following coordinated efforts between US and Mexican authorities. Law enforcement agents “worked countless hours to develop leads to locate Castillo, ultimately uncovering where he has been hiding the past several years,” the agency said in a statement.

Who Is Alejandro Rosales Castillo?

Castillo was born in the United States but is believed to have fled to Mexico shortly after the crime in 2016. According to investigators, he had a brief relationship with his victim, Sandy Ly Le, and had borrowed money from her in the weeks before her disappearance.

US media reports suggest that financial tension may have been a motive. On the day she vanished, Le had agreed to meet Castillo at a gas station in Charlotte. Authorities believe what followed was a carefully planned crime. Investigators allege Castillo forced her to withdraw her savings from an ATM before driving her to a wooded area and shooting her in the head.

Le’s body was discovered days later, while Castillo disappeared, abandoning her vehicle and crossing the border into Mexico. From that point, he lived under the radar, evading detection despite being one of America’s most hunted men.

The Arrest in Pachuca

Mexican military and police located Castillo in Pachuca after tracking his movements over several months. Officials have not yet revealed how he was sustaining himself or whether he had been living under an assumed identity.

Following his capture, Rosales Castillo was brought before the public prosecutor to begin legal proceedings that are expected to lead to his extradition to the United States.