Myanmar Frees US Businessman Adam Castillo After Months in Detention

Myanmar's military-backed government released US citizen Adam Castillo on Wednesday, ending a detention that began in June over a business dispute, and deported him from the capital, Naypyitaw.

Castillo, a former US Marine from California, had led the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar and ran a security firm in Yangon, the country's commercial hub. He was taken into custody at Yangon's airport on June 11 and accused of improperly using the chamber to conduct lobbying in Washington. His supporters have described the charges as spurious, saying they stemmed from a personal dispute with a Myanmar businessman.

The office of Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing said in a post on X that the release was made "in consideration of the bilateral friendly relations" between Myanmar and the United States.

Global Reach, a US nonprofit that assists families of Americans detained abroad, said it had worked toward Castillo's release. The group cited Castillo's sister, Amanda Castillo, in thanking President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their efforts.

"We are thrilled to see Adam coming home and are grateful for the collaboration and efforts from the Trump Administration. Members of the Trump Administration have been working quietly behind the scenes to secure Adam's release," said Global Reach CEO Mickey Bergman.

Bergman previously worked on securing the release of another American, journalist Danny Fenster, who was detained in Myanmar in 2021 and freed after negotiations with the junta.

According to Global Reach, Castillo founded and chaired the Myanmar chapter of Republicans Overseas. In 2025, he met with officials in Vance's office to discuss potential US involvement in mining rare earths in Myanmar. He was detained shortly after publishing a memoir about his experiences during the country's military coup.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The release comes as Myanmar's government seeks international legitimacy. Min Aung Hlaing led the 2021 coup against elected leaders, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and crushed protests against the takeover before holding elections widely described as a sham and installing himself as president this year. The US maintains a range of sanctions against Myanmar's leaders and businesses that support them, though members of the Trump administration have expressed a willingness to engage with all parties in the civil conflict that followed the coup.