Nearly 10 years after a 23-year-old woman was killed in North Carolina, one of the FBI’s most elusive fugitives is finally in custody. Alejandro Rosales Castillo, wanted for the 2016 murder of coworker Sandy Ly Le, was arrested on January 16, 2026 in Pachuca, Mexico after 9 years on the run.
The case stretched across borders, survived years of dead ends, and carried a $250,000 reward. Authorities now say the arrest ends a long international manhunt and sets the stage for long delayed justice. Here’s what’s happening as the case moves forward.
A Debt That Ended in Violence
In August 2016, Alejandro Castillo was 17 years old and working at a Showmars restaurant in Charlotte alongside Sandy Ly Le. The two briefly dated, and Le loaned him approximately $1,000, a debt investigators say became central to what followed. On August 9, 2016, Castillo texted Le claiming he wanted to repay the money. She agreed to meet him that evening at a QuikTrip gas station on Eastway Drive.
Castillo arrived with his then girlfriend, 19-year-old Ahmia Feaster, in her red Dodge Caliber. Investigators believe Castillo forced Le to withdraw $1,000 from an ATM, draining her bank account. Bank records later confirmed the exact withdrawal amount.
Authorities say Le was then driven to a wooded area in Cabarrus County, where she was shot once in the head. Her body was left in a ravine outside Charlotte.
The Rapid Escape After the Killing
Le was reported missing on August 10, 2016, just one day after the meeting. Her body was discovered on August 17 in the same Cabarrus County wooded area investigators later tied to the killing. By that time, Castillo and Feaster were already gone.
After the shooting, the pair fled in Le’s black 2003 Toyota Corolla, traveling west toward Arizona. On August 15, 2016, the vehicle was abandoned at a bus shelter in Phoenix. Surveillance footage later showed Castillo crossing into Mexico from Nogales, Arizona on August 16, just 1 week after the murder.
Feaster accompanied him into Mexico, and both disappeared. The speed of the escape complicated the investigation early, pushing the case into international territory almost immediately. For authorities, the manhunt would soon stretch far beyond North Carolina, with few confirmed sightings and limited leads in the years that followed.
Charges and a Growing Manhunt
On November 2, 2016, Castillo was formally charged with first-degree murder in North Carolina. Several months later, on February 10, 2017, he was also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. As investigators failed to locate him, the case continued to escalate.
On October 24, 2017, more than a year after Le’s death, Castillo was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list as the 516th fugitive ever placed there. A $250,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture, signaling the seriousness of the pursuit.
“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,” the FBI said in a statement released January 18, 2026.
Despite tips and national exposure, including a February 26, 2024 appearance on America’s Most Wanted, Castillo remained hidden.
Years Hidden Across Borders
While Castillo stayed out of sight, Ahmia Feaster resurfaced. On October 20, 2016, about 2 months after fleeing, she surrendered to authorities in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She was extradited to the United States on October 22, 2016.
Feaster was charged with accessory after the fact of felony murder and larceny of a motor vehicle, becoming a key figure in the prosecution’s narrative. Castillo, however, continued to evade capture for nearly a decade.
Behind the scenes, U.S. and Mexican authorities maintained active coordination. INTERPOL Red Notices, extradition warrants, and ongoing intelligence sharing kept the case alive. The FBI Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City worked closely with Mexican counterparts, tracking leads that spanned multiple regions.
Even as years passed, officials repeatedly emphasized the case was not cold. Each new tip, broadcast, and public alert renewed hope that Castillo’s location would eventually be confirmed.
The Arrest That Ended the Search
That breakthrough came in mid-January 2026. Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced on January 17 that Castillo had been arrested in Pachuca, Hidalgo. The operation was carried out by agents from Mexico’s federal Security Ministry and the Federal Attorney General’s Office.
On January 16, 2026, the now 27-year-old fugitive was taken into custody after 9 years on the run. U.S. officials quickly praised the outcome. “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. “This case is a testament that we will never give up on our pursuit of justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel added that Castillo’s capture marked the fifth Ten Most Wanted arrest since the beginning of 2025, surpassing the total from the previous 4 years combined.
What Justice Now Looks Like
Castillo is currently detained in Mexico City awaiting extradition proceedings under the 1978 U.S.-Mexico Extradition Treaty. The legal review can take several months, after which U.S. Marshals would coordinate his transfer to North Carolina. He faces first-degree murder charges in Mecklenburg County, with a potential sentence of life in prison or capital punishment.
North Carolina allows the death penalty, though no executions have occurred in the state since 2006. Prosecutors have not yet indicated how they intend to proceed if extradition is approved.
For Sandy Ly Le’s family, the arrest brings long awaited answers. Her uncle, Bobby Le, previously said the family forgives Castillo but wants closure and accountability. After nearly a decade of uncertainty, the case is finally moving toward trial, where the full weight of the evidence will be heard.
Sources:
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Alejandro Rosales Castillo Captured in Mexico. FBI Charlotte Field Office, January 18, 2026
Statement on Castillo Arrest. Mexican Security Ministry (Omar García Harfuch), January 17, 2026
Statement by Russ Ferguson on Castillo Capture. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of North Carolina, January 18, 2026
Statement on Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Capture. FBI Director Kash Patel, January 17, 2026
Missing Person Report and Body Discovery. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, August 10-17, 2016
Extradition Treaty Between the United States of America and the United Mexican States. U.S. State Department, May 4, 1978