Former US business chamber leader detained in Myanmar
Adam Castillo was detained at Yangon’s airport after the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar reported suspected financial irregularities.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Adam Castillo, a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained after arriving at Yangon International Airport, according to an associate cited by The Associated Press. The detention comes as the chamber has reported suspected financial transactions involving former board representatives.
The associate, who spoke anonymously to the AP because of safety concerns, said Castillo was taken into custody Thursday. Castillo founded and owns AGS Myanmar, a security risk management company.
AGS Myanmar told the AP the situation was an “ongoing matter” and declined further comment. Castillo did not respond to an email sent through his personal website, according to the AP.
The U.S. State Department said it knew of reports that an American had been detained in Myanmar, but said privacy considerations prevented further comment. Myanmar’s military-backed government has not issued a public statement, and the AP reported that the government, Yangon regional officials and regional police did not respond to requests for comment.
Several media outlets aligned with Myanmar’s military, including NP News, reported that Castillo was arrested after a complaint from the American Chamber of Commerce. Castillo served as the chamber’s president from 2023 to 2025.
Asked about the complaint, the chamber’s executive director, Myat Phyu The, told the AP she could not provide details. She pointed to the organization’s May 29 annual report, which said the current board last year identified suspicious transactions “undertaken by former board representatives” and sent the matter to a law firm for review.
According to the chamber report, investigators found that “a former board representative” signed a November 2024 contract with a Washington-based public relations firm. The report said the firm paid that person $300,000, money that was “apparently collected and disbursed outside AMCHAM Myanmar’s accounts.”
The report said the agreement was beyond the signing authority of an individual board representative and had not been approved by the board. It also said AMCHAM Myanmar did not receive money, make payments or receive services under the arrangement, and that the matter was not disclosed to statutory auditors.
The report said two former board members were involved but did not name them or specify what legal steps the chamber had taken. In a June 12 statement on its website, the chamber said its board had taken steps to protect the organization and its members.
Myanmar has been in conflict since the military removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021 and crushed protests that followed. The AP reported that foreign detentions, especially of journalists covering the crisis, have increased since the takeover.
AGS Myanmar says on its website that it provides security services as well as commercial cleaning and pest control. Castillo’s company biography describes him as a former U.S. Marine officer who served in Afghanistan and as chair of Republican Overseas Myanmar, which it says was created in 2024 to promote “America First policies in Myanmar and across the region.”
It was not immediately clear where Castillo had traveled before returning to Myanmar. The AP reported that Instagram posts showed him at a business forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the day before his detention, where he also promoted a memoir about his experiences in Myanmar after the military takeover.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.