Alejandro Rosales Castillo, sought in 2016 Charlotte murder, arrested in Mexico after nearly decade-long manhunt
Arrest in Mexico ends a case that began as three missing-person reports in Charlotte
Alejandro “Alex” Rosales Castillo, a fugitive charged in the 2016 killing of 23-year-old Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le of Charlotte, has been captured in Mexico and is being held pending extradition proceedings to North Carolina. The arrest was announced January 17, 2026, one day after authorities said Castillo was taken into custody in Pachuca, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Local and federal officials said Castillo is detained in Mexico City as the legal process for his return to North Carolina moves forward. The case has been pursued for years by investigators and task force officers in Charlotte and involved coordination with U.S. law enforcement personnel assigned to Mexico and Mexican public-safety and investigative units.
What investigators allege happened in August 2016
Le and Castillo had worked at the same Charlotte restaurant and previously dated. Investigators have said Le had lent Castillo money and that the two arranged to meet on August 9, 2016, with the stated purpose of repaying the debt, described by authorities as about $1,000.
Le was later found dead on August 17, 2016, in a wooded area in Cabarrus County, with investigators reporting a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities have stated that Le’s car was located two days earlier, on August 15, 2016, at a bus station in Phoenix, Arizona.
Authorities have consistently alleged the homicide was followed by a multi-state flight that ended with a border crossing into Mexico.
Officials have said surveillance captured Castillo and an accomplice crossing from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico on August 16, 2016.
Charges and the Ten Most Wanted designation
North Carolina court records cited by law enforcement indicate a state warrant charging Castillo with first-degree murder was issued November 2, 2016, in Mecklenburg County. A federal warrant followed on February 10, 2017, charging unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Castillo was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on October 24, 2017. In later years, the reward for information leading to his arrest increased, reaching up to $250,000.
Other defendants named in the case
Ahmia “Mia” Feaster, who authorities have described as traveling with Castillo after the killing, turned herself in to Mexican authorities in October 2016 and was later returned to face charges in North Carolina that included accessory after the fact and vehicle-related allegations.
Felipe Ulloa was charged in 2017 with accessory after the fact of murder, with police providing limited public detail at the time about his alleged role.
What comes next
With Castillo in custody in Mexico, the next major step is extradition to North Carolina, where he faces the pending murder charge and related proceedings. No U.S. trial date has been announced, and the timeline will depend on the outcome of extradition and court scheduling after he is returned.
The arrest marks a significant development in a Charlotte homicide investigation that has remained open since 2016 and was pursued across jurisdictions in the United States and Mexico.