DOJ Charges Three With Smuggling $2.5 Billion in AI Server Hardware to China Via False Documentation

Three individuals associated with server maker Super Micro Computer were charged with conspiring to smuggle approximately $2.5 billion worth of advanced AI GPU servers to China between 2024-2025, including $510 million in a single six-week period. The scheme involved false documentation, dummy servers staged for compliance audits, and encrypted communications to conceal Chinese end-users. The case—the largest AI export control prosecution to date—underscores the scale of illicit technology transfer that US chip controls are designed to prevent.