Washington, Oct 14: A former US Marine who spent 97 days in detention in Myanmar has credited President Donald Trump with securing his freedom, while accusing the US State Department and American diplomats of failing to help him during his ordeal.
Adam Castillo, an American businessman and Afghanistan war veteran who had lived in Myanmar for nearly 13 years, said he was detained following an internal dispute at the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, where he had previously served as president of the board.
"I mean, I owe my life to President Trump, honestly. I mean, if it wasn't for him, I would not be here today," Castillo told IANS in an exclusive interview following his release.
Castillo said he was detained at Yangon International Airport on June 11 and subsequently spent 14 days in a police interrogation facility before being transferred to the country's notorious Insein Prison, where he remained for another 83 days.
He insisted that he was never formally sentenced or convicted of any offence.
"Yeah, so I wasn't sentenced, actually. I was just detained," he told IANS.
Castillo said the dispute arose after allegations of financial misconduct were made against him following his departure from the chamber's leadership.
According to him, what began as an internal organisational disagreement eventually became a police investigation and then an international diplomatic issue requiring intervention from Washington.
He credited Vice President JD Vance, religious leaders and private advocates with helping secure his release.
"There's many other people to thank. I think, Vice President J.D. Vance in his office, the Faith Council from Paula White to Cardinal Dolan," he said.
He also acknowledged the assistance of Global Reach, an organisation that advocates for detained Americans and their families.
Castillo was sharply critical of the State Department, alleging that US diplomats in Myanmar failed to act decisively despite knowing about his detention.
"The State Department did nothing," he said during a separate press conference in Washington.
He alleged that embassy officials were reluctant to intervene and that meaningful diplomatic efforts began only after the White House became involved.
During his detention, he said, American consular officials visited him four times, including three visits while he was in prison.
Castillo said his family and supporters struggled to obtain meaningful assistance from the embassy.
"The State Department should be ashamed of themselves," he told IANS.
His allegations could not be independently verified from the material provided, which contains no response from the State Department or the US Embassy in Myanmar.
Despite his detention, Castillo offered a relatively favourable assessment of some conditions inside Insein Prison, saying facilities had improved over the years.
He credited prison authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross with efforts to improve sanitation and living conditions.
"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.
Castillo had established a security business in Myanmar after leaving military service. His company provided guarding and security-related services and prepared reports tracking developments in the country's armed conflict.
--IANS