The strategic frontlines of the United States’ Pacific defense posture have come under renewed scrutiny following the sudden death of Governor Arnold Palacios of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a key American territory just north of Guam. In a compelling and urgent conversation between Steve Bannon and geopolitical analyst Cleo Paskal, major national security concerns were raised on Friday’s WarRoom over what appears to be a sophisticated infiltration campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—using CNMI as a quiet, heavily exploited backdoor into the United States.
Under President Trump’s current administration, focus on restoring national sovereignty and security remains central. Yet even in this climate, Bannon and Paskal suggest the federal apparatus may not be doing enough to protect the Pacific border from systemic corruption and foreign exploitation.
THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF CNMI
Bannon opened the interview with Paskal by reminding listeners of America’s roots as a Pacific nation. "We are a continental power that doesn’t stop at the end of the continent—it goes out. We are a Pacific Nation.” He explained how young Americans gave their lives in WWII to take and hold the island chains that now serve as America’s Pacific shield. The Marianas—including Saipan and Tinian—were blood-soaked battlefields that secured the U.S. position in the Pacific and ultimately ensured victory against Japan.
Today, those islands are being neglected or, worse, exploited.
Governor Arnold Palacios came into office with a mission: to clean up CNMI, which had become a hotspot for visa-free CCP travel, public corruption, and even illegal document sales. Chinese nationals can enter CNMI without a U.S. visa, creating a backdoor into American territory. According to Paskal, "The woman that ran the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in the CNMI was convicted of selling U.S. driver’s licenses to Chinese.”
Palacios recognized this vulnerability. In fact, he repeatedly and publicly requested federal investigations into what he called "a national security risk to the United States.” Just this April, he wrote to CNMI’s Congressional representative requesting that Cash Patel send a team for "intensive investigations of public corruption.”
According to Paskal, he welcomed scrutiny. "Come investigate me,” he said. "I’m opening up all my books.”
And now he is dead. Suddenly. Quietly.
THE CASINO CONNECTION
The most alarming part of the CNMI story revolves around a now-shuttered Chinese-owned casino on Saipan. Paskal explained that it ran $5.3 billion through fewer than 20 tables in just the first half of 2017—six times more per table than Macau’s largest casinos. "This is running billions of Chinese dollars or money directly into the U.S. financial system,” she said.
It’s no small-time operation. According to Paskal, "On the board of that casino was former FBI Director Louis Freeh.” Despite these glaring irregularities and potential CCP links, the FBI recently closed its investigation into the casino’s finances—just weeks before Palacios died.
WHY THIS MATTERS
In a time when President Trump is actively reasserting American sovereignty and cleaning up the administrative state, this Pacific breach demands urgent attention. The Marianas are not far-flung rocks—they are U.S. territory, and their fall is our exposure. Saipan is only four hours from Taiwan and eight hours from Hawaii. The proximity makes this a frontline in the broader Cold War against the CCP.
"We need an FBI strike force, a Treasury strike force,” Paskal demanded. "Governor Palacios deserves at least the Vice President of the United States at his funeral.”
This story, at its core, is about national security, sacrifice, and accountability. A sitting U.S. governor put everything on the line to fight corruption and foreign influence. He opened his records, welcomed investigations, and stood up to powerful interests.
And now he’s gone.
The American people deserve answers.
For ongoing updates, Cleo Paskal on X: @CleoPaskal.
For more context, watch this full Friday WarRoom segment:
