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Myanmar frees and deports American businessman Adam Castillo after efforts credited to Trump officials
The U.S. citizen had been detained since June amid a business dispute. A group involved in the case said members of Donald Trump’s administration worked quietly to secure his release.
Myanmar’s military-backed government on Wednesday released U.S. citizen Adam Castillo, who had been detained since June, and then deported him from Naypyitaw, Reuters reported.
Castillo, a former head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was arrested on June 11 at the airport in Yangon, where he operated a security company. Authorities had accused him of improperly using the business chamber he led to conduct lobbying in Washington. Supporters say the case was baseless and grew out of a personal dispute with a Myanmar businessman.
The office of Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing said on X that the decision was taken in consideration of friendly bilateral relations between Myanmar and the United States.
U.S. nonprofit Global Reach, which works with families of Americans detained abroad, said it had worked to secure the release. In a statement cited by Reuters, Castillo’s sister Amanda Castillo thanked the group, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their efforts. Global Reach CEO Mickey Bergman also said members of the Trump administration had been working quietly behind the scenes to obtain Castillo’s freedom.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.
The release comes as Myanmar’s government seeks international legitimacy. Min Aung Hlaing led the 2021 coup against elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, crushed protests that followed, and this year installed himself as president after elections widely criticized as a sham.
Reuters noted that the United States still maintains sanctions on Myanmar leaders and businesses that support them, although members of the Trump administration have shown a willingness to speak with all sides in the civil conflict that followed the coup.
According to Global Reach, Castillo is a former U.S. Marine from California and also founded and chaired the Myanmar chapter of Republicans Overseas. The group said he met in 2025 with officials in Vance’s office about possible U.S. involvement in rare earth mining in Myanmar. He was detained shortly after publishing a memoir about his experiences during the military coup.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
