Imperial Pacific International (IPI) majority shareholder Lijie Cui has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Northern Mariana Islands on alleged immigration violations.
Cui, 68, was taken into custody on Tuesday morning and is currently being held at the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections, according to confirmation from Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres.
ICE has not disclosed further details regarding the specific allegations or the timeline of its investigation.
Cui has been a central figure in IPI, the casino operator behind the former Imperial Palace Saipan. The integrated resort operated for approximately four years before closing in March 2020, shortly after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The closure marked the beginning of a prolonged period of financial distress for the company.
In April 2024, IPI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting liabilities exceeding $165.8m. Since then, the case has played out in US federal court, with multiple creditor disputes and regulatory issues shaping the future of the company’s remaining assets.
As part of the bankruptcy process, IPI’s Saipan casino assets were auctioned earlier this year. Team King Investment emerged as the winning bidder at a court-supervised auction held on February 26, 2025.
The sale was approved by US Bankruptcy Judge Robert Faris on April 29, 2025, following the resolution of objections raised by several creditors.
Court filings previously reported that IPI facilitated Team King Investment’s participation in the auction.
A declaration submitted by legal counsel to the CNMI Governor’s Office also stated that IPI manager and director Howyo Chi married Cui in 2024, several months after the bankruptcy petition was filed.
The arrest introduces a new layer of uncertainty into an already complex restructuring process, although there has been no indication from the court that it will directly affect the approved asset sale.
The case remains ongoing, and authorities have indicated that further information may be released as proceedings continue.
Across the broader Asia-Pacific gaming sector, operators have continued to adjust leadership and governance structures in response to regulatory and financial pressures.
In December 2025, MGM China appointed long-serving executive Kenneth Xiaofeng Feng as Chief Executive Officer under a new three-year service agreement, reflecting a focus on stability and regulatory engagement during a period of regional transition.
Imperial Pacific International’s casino license was previously revoked by CNMI regulators, and the Saipan property has remained shuttered since 2020, with redevelopment plans dependent on new ownership and regulatory approval
