Myanmar holds US businessman who authored account of military takeover, sources indicate

Adam Castillo, previously leading the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar and running a security firm in Yangon, was detained at an airport upon his return to the country.

ByREUTERS

JUNE 12, 2026 13:24

An American entrepreneur who wrote a book about his time in Myanmar during the military takeover was detained upon returning to the Southeast Asian country on Thursday, according to two individuals familiar with the situation.

Adam Castillo, a former leader of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar who operates a security firm in Yangon, was stopped at an airport after arriving back in the nation, one source stated.

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed awareness of reports regarding the detention of an American citizen in Myanmar but offered no additional details due to privacy considerations.

A representative for the military-backed administration did not respond promptly to requests for comment.

'Finding Our Voice,' the publication on the 2021 Myanmar coup

Castillo had been overseas promoting his book, Finding Our Voice, which covers remaining in Myanmar after the 2021 coup that led to widespread unrest, based on social media updates.

The military takeover halted a short period of democratic governance under Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and ignited a civil conflict between the armed forces and a coalition of pro-democracy resistance groups allied with established ethnic minority organizations.

In early April, former military leader Min Aung Hlaing was installed as the nation's president after a disputed, military-orchestrated election that barred major opposition parties, including Suu Kyi's group, amid ongoing fighting.

Castillo, a former US Marine, met with White House officials last year to propose that the United States act as a mediator for peace while aiming to gain access to rare earth minerals, Reuters reported.

His book details the military's violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators yet also faults US policies, such as sanctions, as ineffective and calls for greater commercial involvement.