FBI agents arrested Terry Liu, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor in Calais, Maine, on charges of theft and destruction of government property. Investigators allege that Liu removed high-end components from Department of Homeland Security computers and replaced them with cheaper hardware.
The investigation identified 46 compromised computers across three border facilities in Maine. Specifically, 39 systems had their processors replaced, six had RAM modules swapped, and eight had storage drives removed. In some instances, multiple components were taken from a single machine.
Liu primarily targeted Intel Core i7 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh processors, replacing them with lower-tier CPUs like Intel Pentium. Despite his role in IT support, he lacked authorization for such modifications and had been explicitly ordered by his supervisor to stop moving equipment.
Surveillance footage captured Liu performing the swaps during night shifts. He monetized the stolen hardware through the Newegg trade-in program, receiving $200–210 per processor. Between May 2025 and July 2026, he completed 16 such transactions.
During questioning, Liu admitted to the swaps. While he initially claimed he was attempting to improve system performance, he later acknowledged that the machines functioned worse after his interventions. The cost to restore the systems is estimated at $20 460.
If the 46 affected systems require a full replacement with new units, the total cost could reach $105 800. This figure excludes additional expenses related to configuring the new hardware for integration into the official government infrastructure.
