WASHINGTON – Newly obtained court records from Myanmar shed new light on the release of Adam Michael Castillo, an American Marine Corps veteran and businessman who spent 97 days imprisoned in Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison before being freed through direct intervention by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Myanmar judicial records confirm that the criminal proceedings against Castillo have been closed, with no further prosecution. These records are consistent with Castillo’s position since his release on September 16, 2026, that he never entered a guilty plea, was never convicted or sentenced, and was never formally deported from Myanmar.
The development comes on the heels of the October 21 release of American veteran Stephen Hubbard, who spent more than four years imprisoned in Russia before being freed following a direct request by President Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both cases emphasize the Trump administration’s continuing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Americans detained abroad.
The developments establish that Castillo’s departure was not the result of a criminal sentence followed by deportation, but rather a diplomatic intervention by President Trump and his administration.
On September 16, 2026, a White House delegation secured Castillo’s release following negotiations with Myanmar’s leadership in Naypyitaw, ending his 97-day imprisonment.
Speaking at an October 13 press conference at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., attended by numerous White House correspondents, Castillo told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS): “I owe my life to President Trump. Without him, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“I wasn’t sentenced, actually. I was just detained,” Castillo further explained during the interview.
On September 25, Castillo’s attorney appeared before Pabedan Township Court in Yangon seeking clarification of his legal status. The presiding judge confirmed that the case was closed and that no further court appearances were required.
Castillo, a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar and founder and author of the book Finding Our Voice, was detained at Yangon International Airport on June 11, 2026, following allegations arising from an internal Chamber dispute involving a Washington-based consulting agreement. Castillo has consistently denied the allegations as false and defamatory.
The closure of proceedings denotes a significant turn in a case that has stretched from Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison to Barcelona, where Castillo’s former colleague on the AMCHAM Myanmar Board of Governors, Munimul Islam, was detained by Spanish police on an INTERPOL Red Notice issued at Myanmar’s request.
The development raises new questions about the basis for that notice and the allegations advanced by the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar that set the criminal proceedings in motion.
In previous reporting, Myat Phyu The, the chamber’s executive director and the complainant in the criminal case against Castillo, dismissed scrutiny of the chamber’s internal conduct, writing:
“Don’t let your apparent focus on our internal governance processes and a preoccupation with ‘allegations’ likely emanating from one aggrieved party divert you from the core misadventure and consequential but unsuccessful efforts to cover it all up.”
But with the proceedings against Castillo now closed, the accusations that once carried the threat of years in prison remain unresolved and questionable in the public record.
Castillo, meanwhile, has returned to his hometown of Riverside, California, after 97 days in Myanmar custody.
Se Hoon Kim
Se Hoon Kim is the Managing Editor and White House Correspondent for Global Strat View. A U.S. Army veteran, he covers the White House, national security, foreign policy, and U.S. politics.
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