A former US Marine and Afghanistan war veteran who endured 97 days of detention in Myanmar has publicly credited President Donald Trump with securing his release, while levelling sharp allegations against the US State Department for what he described as a near-total failure to assist him.

Who Is Adam Castillo

Adam Castillo, an American businessman who had lived in Myanmar for nearly 13 years after leaving military service, was detained at Yangon International Airport on 11 June. He had previously served as president of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar and later founded a security company providing guarding services and conflict-tracking reports in the country.

Castillo said the detention followed allegations of financial misconduct made against him after he stepped down from the chamber's leadership — a dispute he characterised as an internal organisational disagreement that escalated into a police investigation and eventually an international diplomatic matter.

Detention Conditions and Timeline

Following his arrest, Castillo spent 14 days in a police interrogation facility before being transferred to Insein Prison — one of Myanmar's most notorious detention centres — where he remained for a further 83 days. He maintained throughout that he was never formally sentenced or convicted of any offence. 'I wasn't sentenced, actually. I was just detained,' he said.

Despite the facility's grim reputation, Castillo offered a measured account of conditions inside, saying standards had improved in recent years. He credited prison authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with improvements to sanitation and living conditions, and stated he did not witness or experience any physical mistreatment. 'Now in terms of mistreatment or abuse or any sort of torture, I was not around any of that and I didn't see any of that,' he said.

Credit to Trump, Criticism of State Department

After his release, Castillo was unambiguous about where he placed the credit. 'I owe my life to President Trump, honestly. I mean, if it wasn't for him, I would not be here today,' he said in an interview following his release.

He also acknowledged the roles of Vice President JD Vance, faith leaders including Paula White and Cardinal Dolan, and advocacy organisation Global Reach, which works to support detained Americans and their families.

His assessment of the State Department, however, was withering. Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Castillo alleged that US diplomats in Myanmar were slow to act and that meaningful intervention began only after the White House became directly involved. 'The State Department did nothing,' he said. 'The State Department should be ashamed of themselves.'

He noted that American consular officials visited him four times during his detention — including three visits while he was imprisoned — but said his family and supporters found it difficult to obtain substantive help from the embassy. His allegations against the State Department could not be independently verified, and no official response from the department or the US Embassy in Myanmar was available at the time of reporting.

Broader Context

Castillo's case draws attention to the ongoing difficulties faced by foreign nationals detained in Myanmar, where the military junta has held power since the February 2021 coup. Insein Prison, located in Yangon, has long been documented by human rights groups as a facility where political detainees and foreign nationals have been held under harsh conditions. Castillo's relatively positive account of current conditions stands in contrast to historical reports, though the ICRC's sustained engagement may partly explain the difference.

The case also reignites a recurring debate in Washington about the effectiveness of career diplomatic channels versus direct White House engagement in securing the release of detained Americans abroad — a tension that has surfaced in several high-profile cases in recent years.