September 18, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
A delegation of U.S. government officials visited Naypyidaw this week to meet with military junta representatives and negotiate the release of an American businessman detained in Myanmar since June, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State.
The high-level meeting—marking one of the most significant diplomatic engagements between the United States and the Myanmar military regime since the 2021 coup—resulted in an agreement to release the detained U.S. citizen, Adam Castillo.
Castillo, founder of a Yangon-based security firm, was arrested at Yangon International Airport on June 11. Although the military regime accused him of using his position as chairman of the American Business Council to conduct lobbying activities in Washington, sources close to the case stated that he was detained for 97 days following false allegations made by certain business figures.
In a statement issued on September 17, the junta announced that Castillo had been deported in order to maintain harmonious bilateral relations between the two countries.
This diplomatic exchange took place as the military regime—led by Min Aung Hlaing, who assumed the presidency following fraudulent elections—actively seeks international recognition. The United States and most Western nations have refrained from recognizing the junta as Myanmar’s legitimate government, continuing instead to enforce targeted sanctions against the regime.
The U.S. Department of State emphasized that it maintains routine communication with officials in Naypyidaw, reaffirming that it will continue to demand an end to violence, unfettered access for humanitarian assistance, and the immediate release of all political prisoners.
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