U.S. authorities arrested Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, co-founder of Super Micro Computer, on charges of illegally exporting AI servers containing Nvidia GPUs to China.
The indictment alleges a $2.5 billion scheme to bypass U.S. export controls, marking one of the largest semiconductor smuggling cases involving Nvidia hardware, widely used in AI and cryptocurrency mining applications.
Alleged Smuggling Operation
The U.S. Department of Justice says the defendants used a Southeast Asian intermediary to place large orders for Super Micro servers containing restricted Nvidia GPUs and then diverted parts of those orders to China without required export licenses.
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Prosecutors allege that between 2024 and 2025, roughly $2.5 billion worth of such servers were purchased under this arrangement. In one period in 2025 alone, over $500 million in servers were allegedly sent on to China after initial delivery to the intermediary.
The operation involved deceptive practices designed to mislead compliance teams and regulators.
Photographic and surveillance evidence shows warehouse personnel using heat (including hair dryers) to remove and reapply serial‑number stickers and identifying labels from genuine servers to dummy units.
These staged dummy servers were then presented to auditors to suggest that the ordered hardware remained in Southeast Asia, while the real restricted equipment was shipped onward to China in unmarked boxes.
The indictment charges the three defendants, including Liaw and a contractor, Ting‑Wei “Willy” Sun, who has been arrested and is being held pending hearings. A third individual, Ruei‑Tsang “Steven” Chang, a sales manager linked to Supermicro’s Taiwan operations, is reported to be at large.
Super Micro Computer said it is cooperating with authorities. Liaw and Chang are on administrative leave, and the company cut ties with Sun. Supermicro is not named in the indictment. Nvidia, whose GPUs were in the servers, said it follows export rules and does not support illegal shipments.
Shares of Super Micro Computer fell 25% after the news, as investors worried about the impact on GPU supply chains.
Why This Matters
Nvidia GPUs are widely used for mining and AI-based crypto operations. Any disruption or tighter export controls could limit hardware supply and raise costs for miners and AI projects.
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People Also Ask:
GPU smuggling involves illegally exporting or diverting high-performance graphics cards or servers containing GPUs to countries restricted by law or export controls.
High-end GPUs are considered strategic technology. They can be used for advanced AI, military applications, and computing tasks that have national security implications.
Illegal exports or supply disruptions can limit access to GPUs for research, AI, and high-performance computing, affecting innovation and industry operations.
