The former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar was detained upon his return to Yangon last week, raising fresh concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals in a country still gripped by military rule and civil conflict. Adam Castillo, founder and owner of security risk management firm AGS Myanmar, was detained Thursday at Yangon International Airport after the chamber reported suspicious financial transactions involving former board members.
The detention comes 5 years ago after Myanmar's military ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a brutal crackdown on dissent and plunging the nation into civil war. Authorities in Myanmar, who rarely speak to international media, have provided little transparency about the case.
The Allegations
According to the American Chamber of Commerce's May 29 annual report, the current board uncovered suspect transactions "undertaken by former board representatives" purportedly on behalf of the organization. Investigators discovered that "a former board representative" had signed a contract in November 2024 with a Washington-based public relations firm, which paid him $300,000 that was "apparently collected and disbursed outside AMCHAM Myanmar's accounts."
The report states that "the signature exceeded the signing limits of individual board representatives, the board never approved the agreement." It also notes that "AMCHAM Myanmar received no funds, made no payments, and received no services, and the matter was not disclosed to the statutory auditors." The report mentions that "two former members of the board" were involved in the case but does not identify either by name. Castillo served as president of the organization from 2023-2025.
Official Response and Transparency Concerns
Acting police Brig. Gen. Soe Lin Aung, spokesperson for Myanmar's Home Affairs Ministry, confirmed the detention, saying "He was arrested because there was a crime and a lawsuit," but did not elaborate further. Myanmar's military-backed government has not released any official statement, and the Yangon regional government office and the Yangon Regional Police Department did not answer requests for more details.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports that an American had been detained in Myanmar but could not comment further "due to privacy considerations." Castillo's company told The Associated Press it was an "ongoing matter" and declined to comment further. Castillo did not respond to an email sent through his personal website.
Pattern of Foreign Detentions
Since the military's takeover, Myanmar has seen a rise in reported detentions of foreigners, particularly foreign journalists covering the political crisis. The military ousted democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and brutally suppressed the nonviolent protests that followed, triggering armed resistance by pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority militias seeking to oust the military rulers.
Several outlets close to the military, including NP News, reported that Castillo had been arrested after the American Chamber of Commerce filed a complaint against him. The chamber's executive director, Myat Phyu The, said she could not give details but said the organization's May 29 annual report "covers the issue at hand." A June 12 statement on the organization's website said the board "has taken appropriate steps to safeguard the interests of the organization and its members."
Background on Castillo
Founded in 2013, AGS Myanmar says on its website that in addition to security, it also provides services including commercial cleaning and pest control. Castillo's company biography says he is a former U.S. Marine officer who served in Afghanistan, and current chair of "Republican Overseas Myanmar," which it says was established in 2024 to promote "America First policies in Myanmar and across the region."
Posts on his Instagram account show that a day before his arrest he attended a business forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he also promoted a recently released book. Castillo's memoir, "Finding Our Voice," recounts his experiences in Myanmar amid political turmoil, violence and economic collapse following the army takeover, according to its synopsis. It was not clear whether the book played any role in his detention.
Why This Matters:
The detention highlights the precarious position of foreign nationals operating in Myanmar under military rule, where due process protections have eroded significantly since the 2021 coup. The lack of transparency from Myanmar's military-backed government—which has not released any official statement and whose regional offices did not answer requests for details—underscores the challenges facing anyone seeking accountability in a country where authorities rarely speak to international media. The rise in reported detentions of foreigners, particularly journalists covering the political crisis, points to a broader pattern of restricting oversight and silencing potential critics. For American businesses and workers in Myanmar, the case raises urgent questions about legal protections and the rule of law in a nation still wracked by violence following the military's brutal suppression of nonviolent protests and the subsequent armed resistance by pro-democracy forces. The American Chamber of Commerce's discovery of suspect financial transactions also reveals gaps in oversight mechanisms for international business organizations operating in conflict zones, where institutional safeguards may be weakened by political instability.