US officials meet Myanmar junta chief to discuss prisoner release and fraud crackdown

According to insiders, Michael Vance, head of the intelligence bureau at the US State Department, traveled to Naypyidaw in mid-September and sat down with Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. The discussion centered on securing the release of US businessman Adam Castillo and on confronting organized fraud networks that prey on Americans through fake romantic relationships. This direct engagement reverses the Biden era strategy of sanctioning and isolating the military leaders after the 2021 coup.

Despite the diplomatic overture, a United Nations report confirmed that the junta carried out an airstrike on a crowded market in Rakhine, killing over 50 people and wounding many more. The US State Department defended the new approach, saying it seeks to pressure all parties to end violence and free political detainees. Critics in the US Congress, including Representative Gregory Meeks, warned that negotiating with Min Aung Hlaing grants the “murderous regime” undeserved international legitimacy.