Nearly a decade after allegedly murdering 23-year-old coworker Sandy Ly Le in Charlotte, Alejandro Rosales Castillo was arrested in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. The FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive had been on the run for 9 years, with a $250,000 reward posted. Authorities say the capture closes one of their most persistent international manhunts, while opening the court fight ahead in North Carolina. The story starts with a simple debt.
A Loan That Turned Into Leverage
In August 2016, Alejandro Castillo, then 17, worked with Sandy Ly Le at a Charlotte Showmars restaurant. They briefly dated, and Le loaned him about $1,000, money he never repaid. Investigators say the unpaid debt became a pressure point, with later text messages shaping what seemed like a plan to meet and settle up. But was repayment ever the real reason?
A Meet-Up That Looked Normal
On Aug. 9, 2016, Castillo texted Le saying he wanted to repay the $1,000. Le agreed to meet at a QuikTrip on Eastway Drive in Charlotte that evening. Castillo’s girlfriend then, 19-year-old Ahmia Feaster, picked him up in her red Dodge Caliber. The 3 converged at the gas station late in the afternoon, and investigators began tracking the minutes.
The Withdrawal Investigators Focused On
Le was last seen alive at the QuikTrip, believing she would get her money back. Investigators believe Castillo forced her to withdraw $1,000 from an ATM, emptying her account. Bank statements confirmed she withdrew the exact amount. Authorities say he then drove her to a wooded, remote area in Cabarrus County outside Charlotte. What investigators believe happened there still chills locals.
One Shot, Then A Fast Escape
Investigators believe Castillo shot Le once in the head in the isolated wooded area and dumped her body in a ravine. Castillo and Feaster fled in Le’s black 2003 Toyota Corolla, heading west toward Arizona. They abandoned the vehicle at a bus shelter in Phoenix on Aug. 15, days after the murder. The next moves showed how quickly the pair planned to disappear.
The Border Crossing Caught On Video
From Phoenix, Castillo and Feaster drove to Nogales, Arizona, near the border. Surveillance video captured Castillo crossing into Mexico on Aug. 16, 2016, just over 1 week after Le’s murder. Feaster accompanied him, and both vanished. Authorities believed they fled to the state of Aguascalientes, possibly staying with Castillo’s cousins. With that, the trail cooled, and the search widened.
When Le Was Found, The Case Changed
Le was reported missing on Aug. 10, the day after the alleged murder. On Aug. 17, 2016, her body was discovered in the Cabarrus County wooded area, where investigators say she had been shot. Authorities determined the motive was robbery tied to the $1,000 withdrawal. The killing rattled Charlotte, with many stunne,d it began at a familiar gas station. One person would soon reappear.
The Girlfriend Returns Without Castillo
About 2 months after fleeing to Mexico, Ahmia Feaster surrendered in Aguascalientes on Oct. 20, 2016. She was extradited to the U.S. on Oct. 22 and arrested by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office near Houston. Feaster was charged with accessory after the fact of felony murder and larceny of a motor vehicle, with $100,000 bond on the accessory charge. Castillo stayed hidden, but paperwork followed him.
Charges, Then The Most Wanted List
On Nov. 2, 2016, Castillo was charged with first-degree murder. On Feb. 10, 2017, he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. On Oct. 24, 2017, more than 1 year after Le’s death, he was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list as the 516th fugitive ever placed there. A $250,000 reward followed, but would it actually help?
“Countless Hours” Behind One Break
“For nearly 10 years, special agents and CMPD task force officers in Charlotte have worked countless hours to develop leads to locate Alejandro Castillo, ultimately uncovering where he has been hiding the past several years,” according to an FBI statement released on Jan. 18, 2026. The case stayed active through years of tips and dead ends. Some leads were public, others quiet, and one spotlight would soon reach millions.
TV Exposure That Did Not End It Yet
Castillo was featured on the Feb. 26, 2024 episode of America’s Most Wanted, reviving national attention and pushing his face back into public view. The show’s history suggested media could help crack long-running cases, and investigators hoped fresh tips would follow. Yet Castillo remained hidden for nearly 2 more years after the broadcast. So what finally changed this year?
Mexico’s Agencies Step In Together
Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced Castillo’s arrest on social media on Jan. 17, 2026. Agents with Mexico’s federal Security Ministry and Federal Attorney General’s Office conducted the operation in Pachuca. INTERPOL Red Notices and extradition warrants supported the case. The FBI Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City coordinated with Mexican authorities for years. The coordination produced a pinpoint location, then a fast move.
The Arrest After 9 Years Running
On Jan. 16, 2026, Castillo was arrested in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. After 9 years evading capture, the 27-year-old fugitive was found living what appeared to be a normal life. Authorities say long-term coordination and steady investigative pressure finally closed in. For investigators, it ended the chase, but for prosecutors and Le’s family, it shifted everything into a new phase, and the tone turned to justice.
“We Will Never Give Up”
“Those who engage in violence will not get away with it no matter how hard they try,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, on Jan. 18, 2026. “This case is a testament that we will never give up on our pursuit of justice.” The statement underscored how prosecutors view long manhunts as promises kept. But another federal voice framed the arrest as part of a bigger pattern.
A Ten Most Wanted Trendline Shifts
FBI Director Kash Patel said Castillo’s capture was the 5th Ten Most Wanted Fugitive arrested since the beginning of 2025, more captures in 1 year than the entire previous 4 years combined. The statement described a 300% increase compared to that earlier period. Supporters call it proof of sharper focus, while critics may debate comparisons and timing. Still, the practical question now is simple: how does he get back to Charlotte?
Extradition Is A Process, Not A Moment
Castillo is detained in Mexico City awaiting extradition to North Carolina. The process typically involves review in Mexican courts under the 1978 U.S.-Mexico Extradition Treaty, and defense challenges can extend timelines. U.S. Marshals coordinate the transfer once approvals are final. Attorneys often expect months, sometimes longer, before a defendant reaches a U.S. courtroom. Even so, the Mecklenburg County case is already waiting in the background.
What The Family And City Carry Forward
Sandy Le’s family now has answers after nearly 10 years. Her uncle Bobby Le previously said the family forgives Castillo but wants closure and justice. Castillo faces first-degree murder charges in Mecklenburg County, and conviction could mean life in prison or potentially capital punishment. North Carolina allows capital punishment, though no one has been executed since 2006. With emotions high, how much will the reward matter in the final story?
The $250,000 Question Behind The Capture
The FBI offered up to $250,000 for information leading directly to Castillo’s capture. Officials have not disclosed what amount, if any, was paid out, but tip lines and public alerts generated leads over years. Rewards can motivate attention in cases that drift from headlines, complementing traditional investigative work. Someone’s information helped end a 9-year search, yet the most consequential decisions now shift to courts and juries.
A Long Wait Ends, A Trial Begins
Nearly a decade passed between the killing and the arrest, with Charlotte enduring years of uncertainty, false leads, and frustration. Sandy Ly Le’s loved ones lived through milestones without her. Investigators pursued leads across borders, and Mexican and American authorities worked together to close the net. On Jan. 16, 2026, the search ended. Now Alejandro Rosales Castillo’s case heads toward North Carolina, where the record will finally be tested.
Sources
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Alejandro Rosales Castillo Captured in Mexico. FBI Charlotte Field Office, Jan. 18, 2026
Official Statement on Castillo Capture. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Jan. 18, 2026
Statement by Omar García Harfuch on Castillo Arrest. Mexican Security Ministry, Jan. 17, 2026
Statement by Russ Ferguson. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of North Carolina, Jan. 18, 2026
Statement on Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Capture. FBI Director Kash Patel, Jan. 17, 2026
Episode featuring Alejandro Castillo. America’s Most Wanted, Feb. 26, 2024