Agent Charged With Illegally Modifying Border Patrol Hardware

Terry Liu, a 39-year-old U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor assigned to the Calais Port of Entry in Maine, was arrested in September 2026 and charged in U.S. District Court in Bangor with one count of theft of government property and one count of destruction of government property. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to a probable cause affidavit by FBI Special Agent Christopher J. White, CBP information technology staff discovered on December 19, 2025, that multiple computers had been modified without authorization or direction from CBP management or IT personnel. A later inventory identified 46 affected computers: 38 at Calais, six at Ferry Point, and two at Milltown.

Of those, 39 had central processing units replaced, six had random-access memory changed, and eight had hard drives changed. Some machines received more than one type of alteration. Original components included 14th-generation Intel processors such as the Core i7-14700. Replacement parts, purchased by Liu from retailers including Newegg and Amazon, consisted of older 12th- or 13th-generation Intel Core processors or Intel Pentium models that did not meet CBP specifications.

Many of the modified computers were reconnected to the CBP network.

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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

On March 18, 2025, Port Director Theodore Cummings issued a written instruction to Liu stating, “Please do not move any computers or computer parts.” Investigators later installed cameras.

Footage from a camera placed January 6 in a previously unmonitored training room and from another camera above Liu’s desk showed him, during midnight shifts, removing computer side panels, using a screwdriver in a manner consistent with scraping thermal paste from processors, swapping components, and testing systems. Liu typically worked overnight hours when few other officers were present.

Financial and email records indicated Liu submitted original government components to Newegg’s trade-in program. Investigators identified 13 emails containing shipping labels and trade-in summaries for matching processor models, with offers of $200 or $210 each. Newegg records showed 16 such transactions involving 14th-generation Intel Core i7 processors between May 2025 and July 2026.

Credit-card statements reflected at least $600 in related credits, and emails referenced trade-in offers totaling at least $2,660. CBP estimated the cost to restore the original parts at more than $20,000 and the cost to replace all 46 computers at more than $105,000.

During a September 9 interview, Liu admitted replacing CBP components with older parts and using government hardware in the Newegg program for credit. He initially stated the changes were intended to improve computer efficiency. When questioned further, he acknowledged knowing the modifications degraded system performance and said he acted because of frustration with the length of time required for CBP IT repairs.

The affidavit does not allege installation of malware or transmission of government data outside the agency. CBP’s Office of Professional Standards had opened an inquiry in January into actions Liu took while on duty.

Prosecutors have requested that Liu remain detained. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Ruge argued that Liu had engaged in “recent and frequent international travel” and had “apparent foreign connections and substantial means with which to flee.”

Liu has described himself on social media as a native of Guangzhou, China, and posted material suggesting participation in the 2020 election. CBP officer positions require U.S. citizenship.

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