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Experts tell Congress scams, drugs and trafficking in Myanmar fund junta; lawmakers probe sanctions, asset recovery and Thailand cooperation

House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific & Subcommittee on South and Central Asia · November 20, 2025

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Summary

At a House Foreign Affairs hearing, witnesses described scam centers in Myanmar as large money-laundering operations tied to the junta and transnational criminal groups, urged tougher sanctions and coordination with Thailand on victim rescue and information gathering, and proposed using frozen Burmese funds for humanitarian needs.

Witnesses at a joint House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing told members that scam centers, narcotics production and related money laundering are central financing sources for the Myanmar military and that those networks pose a direct threat to Americans through fraud and fentanyl links. Steve Ross of the Stimson Center said Americans lost about $10 billion to scams last year; Ambassador Kelly Curry said the broader scam-and-laundering ecosystem may reach roughly $35 billion annually.

Both witnesses described ties among Chinese criminal syndicates, the junta and border-area actors. Curry recommended using all available sanctions authorities, avoiding the removal of sanctions from key arms dealers, and pressuring ASEAN and partners to resist legitimizing junta-led elections. Ross and Curry urged stepped-up sanctions enforcement, interagency coordination and allied action to close financial and logistical pathways used by scam operations.

Members also discussed law-enforcement and humanitarian responses. Witnesses recommended establishing structured processes for collecting testimony and evidence from rescued scam victims — particularly in Thailand where many escape — creating safe houses to gather intelligence and assist victims, and building capacity for asset recovery and prosecution. Curry suggested using about $1.5 billion in frozen Burmese funds in managed accounts and using interest to support humanitarian programs while preventing regime diversion.

Lawmakers pressed on the substantive nature of recent junta raids on scam centers, with witnesses calling many such operations performative because leadership reportedly receives advance warning and evidence or leaders flee prior to raids. The hearing produced no formal enforcement action; committee members requested follow-up materials and signaled interest in legislative measures to strengthen sanctions, pursue asset recovery and improve cooperation with regional partners.