A restaurant worker who has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list since 2017 has been apprehended in Mexico, the agency reported on Saturday.
Alejandro Rosales Castillo, 27, was wanted for the 2016 robbery and murder of a fellow employee, “Sandy” Lee Lee, 23, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Authorities state that Castillo, who had a previous relationship with Lee, lured her under the pretense of returning some money he had lent her. Instead, he forced her to withdraw $1,000 from her bank account and then shot her.
Lee’s body was later discovered in a wooded ravine outside the city, while Castillo went into hiding.
He was added to the Most Wanted Fugitive List the following October.
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Castillo lived in Charlotte and was captured on surveillance crossing into Mexico. The FBI noted that he is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.
In 2017, the FBI shared footage of Castillo’s border crossing.
Castillo faced first-degree murder charges in North Carolina in 2016, along with a federal charge regarding his unlawful flight to evade prosecution the following year.
The Charlotte FBI office confirmed they will collaborate with local authorities and Mexican law enforcement to ensure Castillo faces justice.
“The FBI and our partners at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have dedicated significant effort to locating and arresting Alex Castillo,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI Charlotte. “He may have thought he could live a normal life without consequence, but our team remained relentless.”
FBI Director Kash Patel commended the diligent work of law enforcement, indicating that Castillo’s capture wasn’t a mere coincidence. He emphasized the agency’s increased success rate in reducing the number of Most Wanted fugitives.
This is the fifth capture of one of the top ten fugitives within a single year, a feat not seen in the last four years combined. It reflects the excellent investigative work and strong leadership in this administration that has placed competent officers on the case.
Patel concluded by saying, “Justice will be served.”
