Mexico captures an FBI ’10 most-wanted fugitive’

Mexican and U.S. authorities announced connected Saturday the apprehension successful Pachuca, Hidalgo, of Alejandro Rosales Castillo, an “FBI 10 astir wanted fugitive” accused of murdering a pistillate successful North Carolina successful 2016.

The U.S. citizen entered Mexico soon aft helium allegedly murdered his co-worker and erstwhile woman successful August 2016.

Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced Rosales’ apprehension connected societal media, penning that agents with the national Security Ministry and the Federal Attorney General’s Office carried retired an cognition successful the Hidalgo superior that resulted successful the seizure of the suspect.

He noted that Mexican authorities had exchanged accusation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation anterior to the arrest. García Harfuch besides noted that Rosales — who was added to the FBI’s “ten astir wanted fugitives” database successful 2017 — was taxable to an Interpol Red Notice and that a warrant for his apprehension “for extradition purposes” had been issued.

“The detainee is identified arsenic 1 of the 10 astir wanted fugitives of the FBI, which offered a reward of US $250,000 for accusation starring to his capture,” helium wrote.

“He is wanted by the authorities successful North Carolina, successful the United States, for first-degree murder, equipped robbery, conveyance theft and first-degree kidnapping,” García Harfuch wrote.

Derivado de trabajos de inteligencia y del intercambio de información con el @FBI, elementos de @SSPCMexico y @FGRMexico realizaron un despliegue coordinado en Pachuca, Hidalgo, donde fue detenido Alejandro “N”, quien cuenta con ficha roja y orden de arresto con fines de… pic.twitter.com/gZ8ybE85Pm

— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) January 17, 2026

Rosales, 27, is accused of murdering 23-year-old Truc Quan “Sandy” Ly Le, the FBI said successful a connection issued aft the suspect’s arrest. Born successful the authorities of Arizona, the fishy was conscionable 17 years aged erstwhile helium allegedly murdered Ly Le. Rosales and Ly Le worked unneurotic astatine a edifice successful Charlotte and dated for a period, according to constabulary successful Charlotte, the largest metropolis successful North Carolina.

In its statement, the FBI noted that Ly Le’s assemblage was recovered connected Aug. 17, 2016, successful a wooded country successful Cabarrus County, which adjoins Mecklenburg, the region wherever Charlotte is located. She had a gunshot coiled to the head.

The FBI said successful 2017 that “a associated probe by the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) revealed that [Rosales] Castillo owed the unfortunate wealth — astir $1,000.”

“Text messages betwixt [Rosales] Castillo and the unfortunate showed they agreed to conscionable successful Charlotte connected Aug. 9, 2016, truthful helium could repay the loan,” the FBI said.

“When the unfortunate arrived astatine the gathering spot that evening, [Rosales] Castillo seemingly had nary volition of returning the money. Instead, according to CMPD Det. Brent Koeck, Castillo had the unfortunate retreat a ample sum of wealth from an ATM. Investigators judge [Rosales] Castillo drove the pistillate to a remote, heavy wooded country extracurricular Charlotte, wherever she was changeable successful the caput and her assemblage dumped successful a ravine. Castillo and his caller woman past fled the authorities successful the victim’s car.”

The time helium allegedly murdered Ly Le, Rosales “was seen connected surveillance video crossing the borderline from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico,” the FBI said.

His girlfriend, Ahmia Feaster, entered Mexico with him, but 2 months aft the homicide, she turned herself successful to Mexican authorities and returned to North Carolina to look charges, according to the FBI.

Rosales, a fluent Spanish speaker, was initially believed to beryllium surviving successful the authorities of Aguascalientes, but was residing successful Pachuca earlier his arrest, according to Mexico’s Security Ministry.

The FBI said Saturday that “for astir 10 years, peculiar agents and CMPD task unit officers successful Charlotte person worked countless hours to make leads to find [Rosales] Castillo, yet uncovering wherever helium has been hiding the past respective years.”

The U.S. bureau noted that Rosales was captured successful Pachuca past Friday, and said that its Law Enforcement Attaché Office successful Mexico City coordinated with a Criminal Investigation Agency-Interpol “vetted team” and Mexico’s Security Ministry connected the arrest.

“[Rosales] Castillo is detained successful Mexico City pending extradition proceedings to North Carolina,” the FBI said.

FBI manager acknowledgment Mexican government, US ambassador highlights bilateral cooperation  

FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged Rosales’ apprehension successful a societal media post, highlighting that “another FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” had been captured.

BREAKING: Another FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive has been captured.

Alejandro Rosales Castillo – a Ten Most Wanted Fugitive since 2017 – was arrested successful Mexico connected Friday. He has been wanted connected charges for the 2016 execution of his erstwhile coworker, 23 twelvemonth aged “Sandy” Ly Le in… pic.twitter.com/rfqn4HGRad

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 17, 2026

“Incredible enactment @FBICharlotte, and convey you to truthful galore partners who delivered — the authorities of Mexico, Legat [legal attaché office] Mexico, State Dept, HSI, US Secret Service, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, and more,” helium wrote. 

“This is the FIFTH Ten Most Wanted Fugitive captured nether this FBI successful 1 year, since the opening of 2025 — much captures successful 1 twelvemonth than the full erstwhile 4 years combined,” Patel added.

The United States’ Ambassador to Mexico, Ron Johnson, subsequently shared Patel’s station connected X and wrote supra it:

“Cooperation, collaboration, and coordination delivers existent results. This lawsuit reflects the interaction of those combined efforts. Under the enactment of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and President @ClaudiaShein, we stay committed to associated enactment that strengthens information and ensures justice.”

In a bid of caller societal media posts, Johnson has acknowledged Mexico’s information efforts, including the apprehension of alleged members of transgression groups that person been designated arsenic overseas violent organizations by the U.S. government.

Mexico is nether unit from the U.S. authorities to bash much to combat cartels and the drugs they postulation to the United States. Donald Trump said connected Jan. 8 that the United States was going to commencement targeting cartels connected onshore successful Mexico, but that menace was seemingly defused — astatine slightest for present — successful a telephone betwixt President Sheinbaum and the U.S. president past Monday.