‘Top Ten Most Wanted’ Killer Snatched in Mexico After 9 Years on the Run

One of America’s most notorious fugitives just ran out of places to hide.

After nearly a decade on the run, Alejandro Rosales Castillo — the man accused of murdering 23-year-old Trúc “Sandy” Ly Le in Charlotte, North Carolina — was dragged back into the spotlight Friday when FBI agents cornered him in Mexico. The arrest ends what investigators describe as a “cold, calculated escape” that haunted law enforcement for years.

Castillo, once believed to be hiding deep inside criminal networks, was taken into custody in Pachuca, Hidalgo. He didn’t fight. He didn’t speak. Agents say he simply surrendered, as if he knew the chase was finally over.

FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t hide his satisfaction.

“Castillo is the fifth Ten Most Wanted fugitive we’ve captured since last year. More than the previous four years combined,” Patel said. “That’s not luck. That’s law enforcement unleashed. And now Sandy’s family can finally see the first cracks of justice they’ve waited nearly ten years for.”

For years, Castillo has been a ghost. Investigators say he crossed into Mexico days after Le vanished in 2016. Her disappearance began with something small — she agreed to meet Castillo so he could repay a $1,000 debt. She never returned. Her car later surfaced in Phoenix. She did not.

Rep. Pat Harrington, R-N.C., said the arrest brings long-awaited closure to a case that shook Charlotte.

“Nearly nine years after a brutal murder, the man responsible has finally been caught,” Harrington posted. “This is what relentless policing looks like.”

Sources close to the manhunt said Castillo built a quiet life under a fake name, working menial jobs and assuming his past had died off. But agents never stopped digging.

“For nine years, he blended in. Went to work. Ate meals. Slept at night,” an FBI source said. “And all that time, our investigators kept coming.”

James C. Barnacle Jr., head of FBI Charlotte, called Castillo’s arrest “a victory carved out of obsession.”

“For more than nine years, he believed he was untouchable,” Barnacle said. “Our team proved him wrong. Sandy’s family deserves this moment.”

Charlotte Police Chief Estella Patterson said the operation shows what happens when law enforcement unites across borders.

“This case sends a message to every violent offender who thinks Mexico will protect them,” Patterson said. “Justice travels.”

Federal prosecutors are already preparing for Castillo’s return.

“Let this be a warning,” U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said. “Run all you want. Violence will always catch up with you.”

Two others were previously charged in the case — Ahmia Feaster, who fled but later surrendered, and Felipe Ulloa, arrested as an accessory. Both cooperated with investigators.

Criminologists say Castillo’s capture marks another turning point in U.S.–Mexico cooperation.

“These fugitives used to disappear for decades,” one former FBI analyst told us. “Now, the walls close in faster. There’s nowhere left to hide.”

Extradition proceedings are underway.