Adam Castillo, a prominent advocate for "America First policies" and former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained upon his return to Yangon, police confirmed Monday, amidst an ongoing investigation into suspicious financial transactions within the transnational business promotion organization.
Castillo, a founder and owner of the security risk management firm AGS Myanmar, was taken into custody Thursday, three days ago, at Yangon International Airport. The spokesperson for Myanmar’s Home Affairs Ministry, acting police Brig. Gen. Soe Lin Aung, stated that Castillo was arrested "because there was a crime and a lawsuit," confirming reports without further elaboration.
The detention follows the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) initiating an inquiry into suspect financial transactions allegedly undertaken by former board representatives. AMCHAM, an organization explicitly dedicated to promoting American businesses abroad, detailed these findings in its annual report released 17 days ago.
Elite Financial Malfeasance
The AMCHAM report revealed that the current board last year uncovered transactions purportedly made on behalf of the chamber. These transactions were subsequently referred to a law firm for review, exposing a pattern of elite self-dealing within the organization.
Investigators discovered that "a former board representative" had signed a contract in November 2024, about 1 year 7 months ago, with a Washington-based public relations firm. This firm then paid the representative $300,000, which was "apparently collected and disbursed outside AMCHAM Myanmar’s accounts."
The report explicitly states that "The signature exceeded the signing limits of individual board representatives, the board never approved the agreement." Furthermore, it confirmed that "AMCHAM Myanmar received no funds, made no payments, and received no services, and the matter was not disclosed to the statutory auditors," highlighting a severe breach of financial oversight and transparency within the globalist entity.
While the report mentions "two former members of the board" were involved, it refrains from identifying them by name or detailing any legal actions taken by the organization. Myat Phyu The, the chamber’s executive director, declined to elaborate on the complaint, referring only to the annual report.
Castillo served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce from 2023 to 2025, a period that overlaps with the timeline of the alleged misconduct. His company, AGS Myanmar, described the situation as an "ongoing matter" and declined further comment.
Advocating National Interests
Beyond his role in the transnational business sphere, Castillo's company biography identifies him as the current chair of "Republican Overseas Myanmar," an organization established in 2024. This group explicitly aims to promote "America First policies in Myanmar and across the region," positioning Castillo as a figure advocating for national sovereignty in a landscape dominated by globalist economic interests.
Castillo, a former U.S. Marine officer who served in Afghanistan, recently attended a business forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he promoted a newly released book. His memoir, "Finding Our Voice," recounts his experiences in Myanmar amidst the political turmoil, violence, and economic collapse that followed the military's ousting of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, five years ago.
Myanmar has experienced a rise in the detention of foreigners, particularly journalists covering the ongoing political crisis, since the military's takeover. The U.S. State Department acknowledged reports of an American detention but cited "privacy considerations" for its inability to comment further.
Authorities in Myanmar, currently embroiled in a civil war, rarely communicate with international media. The military-backed government has not issued an official statement regarding Castillo's detention, and requests for details from Yangon regional government and police departments went unanswered.