Adam Castillo, a former US Marine and past president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (AmCham), was detained at Yangon International Airport on Thursday upon returning to the country, according to an associate who spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns. The detention follows revelations in AmCham's annual report, published on 29 May, that the chamber's current board had uncovered suspicious transactions carried out by former board members.
The report, which was reviewed by European Pulse, states that a former board member personally signed a contract with a Washington-based public relations firm in November 2024, resulting in $300,000 being paid to him through channels entirely separate from AmCham's accounts. "The signature exceeded the signing limits of individual board representatives, the board never approved the agreement," the report said. "AMCHAM Myanmar received no funds, made no payments, and received no services, and the matter was not disclosed to the statutory auditors."
Castillo, who founded the security and risk management firm AGS Myanmar, served as AmCham president from 2023 to 2025. The report refers to "two former members of the board" in connection with the case but does not name them. AmCham's executive director, Myat Phyu The, declined to elaborate, directing inquiries to the annual report and stating it "covers the issue at hand." A subsequent statement posted to the chamber's website on 12 June confirmed the board "has taken appropriate steps to safeguard the interests of the organisation and its members."
Junta's Silence and International Reaction
Myanmar's military government has not issued any official statement on the matter, consistent with its customary silence toward international media. Regional government offices and Yangon police did not respond to requests for comment. Pro-military outlets such as NP News reported that Castillo had been arrested after AmCham filed a complaint against him. The US State Department said it was "aware of reports that an American has been detained in Myanmar" but declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations.
AGS Myanmar confirmed only that the situation was "an ongoing matter." Castillo did not respond to an email sent through his personal website. Before flying back to Yangon, he had been in Kuala Lumpur, where Instagram posts show him attending a business forum the day before his detention. He had also been promoting a recently published memoir, Finding Our Voice, which recounts his years in Myanmar through the military takeover and its aftermath. Whether the book played any role in his detention is not known.
In addition to security services, AGS Myanmar's website lists commercial cleaning and pest control among its offerings. Castillo's biography on the site describes him as a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, and as chair of "Republican Overseas Myanmar," an organization established in 2024 to promote "America First policies in Myanmar and across the region."
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021. The violent suppression of protests gave rise to an armed resistance movement, and the country remains in the grip of civil war. The period has also seen a sharp rise in the detention of foreign nationals, including journalists covering the conflict. This case echoes broader concerns about the rule of law in Myanmar, which have drawn attention from European institutions. For instance, former Syrian officials facing torture trial in Vienna for Assad-era crimes highlights the continent's role in pursuing accountability for human rights abuses.
The detention of a US businessman with ties to a Republican-aligned group may also have implications for transatlantic relations, as European policymakers monitor the junta's treatment of foreign nationals. The European Union has maintained sanctions against Myanmar's military leadership since the 2021 coup, and this incident could reinforce calls for continued pressure.
