After nearly nine years on the run, FBI captures one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Saturday the arrest of Alejandro Rosales Castillo, who had been on the agency's Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list since 2017. As reported by FBI Director Kash Patel, Castillo was arrested Friday in Mexico and is linked to the 2016 murder of 23-year-old Sandy "Ly" Le in Charlotte, N.C.

According to the FBI, Castillo had been on the run for nearly nine years. The agency confirmed that he is currently in custody in Mexico and awaiting extradition to North Carolina to face trial in the U.S.

FBI statements and recent results

In an official statement, Patel noted that Castillo is the fifth member of the Top 10 Most Wanted list captured since last year, a figure that exceeds the arrests made during the previous four years combined. The FBI director attributed the arrest to the coordinated work between the FBI Charlotte field office, state and local partners, and Mexican authorities.

The FBI Charlotte field office said the capture was made in Pachuca, in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, as a result of that international cooperation.

A case that deeply affected Charlotte

Authorities have indicated that Castillo was wanted for his alleged connection to the murder of Sandy "Ly" Le. According to information in the case, Castillo owed her $1,000 and the young woman disappeared after agreeing to meet him at a gas station. Subsequently, Le's vehicle was located in Phoenix, prompting an investigation that dragged on for years.

Castillo was officially added to the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list in October 2017.

Reactions from local authorities and leaders

Rep. Pat Harrington (R-N.C.) praised the capture and publicly thanked the FBI's Charlotte office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and other federal partners for keeping the search active for nearly a decade.

James Barnacle Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI in Charlotte, said investigators never gave up on the case and stressed that the arrest may bring some comfort to the victim's family. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson stressed that the arrest demonstrates the impact of interagency cooperation and strengthens community safety.