US hands over dual citizen to El Salvador for 2019 murder and abandonment of toddler
Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga faces aggravated femicide charges after killing his partner and leaving their infant son near her body.
By Ryan Davidson ·
Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, a 27-year-old dual citizen from Beaumont, California, was transferred to Salvadoran authorities on Wednesday to stand trial. The Department of Justice confirmed that this transfer marks the first instance of the United States surrendering a citizen to face prosecution for crimes committed in El Salvador.
Salvadoran prosecutors allege that on January 31, 2019, Castillo Murga collected Melvi Fernanda Nájera Quezada and their young son from her mother's residence. Authorities say he claimed the move was to begin cohabitation, but he instead killed Nájera Quezada. Her body was discovered near a highway the following day. An autopsy attributed her death to severe bleeding from neck cuts and other wounds caused by a plastic knife.
Investigators stated that Castillo Murga abandoned their son, who was younger than two years old, in a rugged area near the crime scene. Farmworkers found the child several days later. The toddler was severely dehydrated and starving, with visible cuts on his face, insect bites, and other signs of abuse.
Police linked Castillo Murga to the homicide through cellphone location data and witness testimonies. He reportedly sent a photograph to a girlfriend showing bloodstains on his face and neck. Prosecutors also charged his grandmother and a lawyer with helping to hide evidence. The pair allegedly directed two individuals to clean blood from Castillo Murga's vehicle using water, car shampoo, and vinegar, but they failed to remove all traces.
Castillo Murga fled to Guatemala around February 2, 2019, with the help of his grandmother and lawyer before entering the United States. U.S. Marshals seized him in October 2024 following an extradition request from El Salvador. He challenged the move in federal court, but a judge rejected his petition in November 2025. A later request to halt the transfer was denied in September 2026.
The secretary of state authorized the surrender, and U.S. Marshals placed Castillo Murga into Salvadoran custody on Wednesday. He now faces charges of aggravated femicide and imperfect homicide.
The transfer concludes a legal process that began with his arrest in 2024 and proceeded through multiple judicial reviews. Salvadoran authorities will now handle the prosecution of the 2019 killing.
