Border Agent Charged With Illegally Modifying Critical Hardware

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor is facing serious federal charges after investigators alleged he secretly stripped newer components from dozens of government computers, replaced them with inferior hardware and traded some of the original parts for personal credit.

Terry Liu, 39, a CBP supervisor assigned to the Calais Port of Entry in Maine, was arrested in September and charged in federal court in Bangor with theft of government property and destruction of government property.

Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case centers on what investigators say happened to 46 government computers spread across three CBP locations.

According to an FBI probable cause affidavit, CBP information technology employees discovered on Dec. 19, 2025, that multiple agency computers had apparently been altered without authorization from management or IT personnel.

An inventory soon revealed the scale of the problem.

Investigators identified 38 affected computers at Calais, another six at Ferry Point and two at Milltown.

BREAKING: Terry Liu, the Chinese national arrested this week in Maine, has been charged with illegally modifying the hardware of Customs and Border Patrol computers at the Maine-Canada border.

Liu, who described himself as a native of Guangzhou, China, was caught on camera… pic.twitter.com/PC1hZJi987

— Steve Robinson (@SteveRob) September 11, 2026

Authorities allege that processors had been replaced in 39 computers, RAM had been changed in six and hard drives had been swapped in eight. Some computers allegedly had multiple components replaced.

And the hardware wasn’t simply being exchanged for equivalent parts.

According to investigators, some of the original computers contained newer 14th-generation Intel processors, including Core i7-14700 chips.

Those components were allegedly replaced with older 12th- and 13th-generation Intel Core processors or Intel Pentium chips that failed to meet CBP specifications.

Many of those altered machines were then reportedly reconnected to the government’s network.

As officials tried to determine what was happening, Liu received an explicit written instruction from Port Director Theodore Cummings on March 18, 2025:

“Please do not move any computers or computer parts.”

Investigators eventually turned to surveillance cameras.

According to the affidavit, cameras captured activity during Liu’s overnight shifts, when relatively few other officers were around.

Footage allegedly showed Liu removing computer side panels and working inside the machines. Investigators described him using a screwdriver in a manner consistent with scraping thermal paste from processors, exchanging components and testing the altered systems.

But the investigation didn’t stop with the surveillance footage.

Authorities say financial and email records provided another piece of the puzzle.

Investigators allege that original government computer components were submitted to Newegg’s trade-in program.

They identified 13 emails containing shipping labels and trade-in summaries involving processor models matching government equipment, with offers reportedly worth $200 or $210 apiece.

Newegg records allegedly revealed 16 transactions involving 14th-generation Intel Core i7 processors between May 2025 and July 2026.

Credit-card records showed at least $600 in related credits, while emails referenced trade-in offers totaling at least $2,660, according to the affidavit.

The alleged financial benefit was only part of the government’s concern.

CBP estimated that restoring the computers with their original components would cost more than $20,000.

Replacing all 46 machines altogether was estimated to cost more than $105,000.

Investigators interviewed Liu on Sept. 9.

According to the affidavit, Liu admitted replacing CBP computer components with older hardware and acknowledged using government equipment through Newegg’s trade-in program for credit.

He initially told investigators that his modifications were intended to improve the computers’ efficiency.

But authorities say that explanation changed under further questioning.

According to the affidavit, Liu acknowledged knowing that the modifications actually degraded the computers’ performance and said frustration over the amount of time required for CBP’s IT department to complete repairs contributed to his actions.

One important element is notably absent from the allegations.

The affidavit does not accuse Liu of installing malware on CBP computers or transmitting government information outside the agency.

CBP’s Office of Professional Standards had already opened an investigation in January concerning Liu’s conduct while working for the agency.

Federal prosecutors are now seeking to keep him detained as the criminal case proceeds.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Ruge cited concerns about Liu’s “recent and frequent international travel” and his alleged “apparent foreign connections and substantial means with which to flee.”

The case remains pending, and the charges are allegations that prosecutors would have to prove in court.

What investigators have alleged, however, is an unusual breach from inside a federal law-enforcement agency: dozens of government computers altered without authorization, newer hardware allegedly removed and replaced with older components, and government property allegedly fed into a commercial trade-in program for credit.

Now a CBP supervisor entrusted with helping oversee operations at a U.S. port of entry is facing the possibility of years in federal prison if convicted.