CBP Supervisor Caught on Hidden Camera Gutting Border Security Computers After Hours

A Scheme Hidden in Plain Sight

A Customs and Border Protection supervisor assigned to the Calais Port of Entry is in custody after allegedly stealing components from government computers. But the details behind the arrest paint a picture far stranger — and more troubling — than a simple theft. Surveillance cameras, including one installed over Liu's desk in early March during the investigation, appeared to show him working on computers after midnight. Hidden cameras. Government computers. A border crossing. And a scheme that may have left compromised hardware connected directly to federal networks.

Terry Liu, 39, of Calais, is charged with one felony count each of theft of government property and destruction of government property in U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor. Both charges could carry a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and $100,000 in fines. Investigators say the scheme was brazen, methodical, and went on for months before anyone caught on.

Swapping Out the Good Stuff for Junk

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. The scale of the operation is remarkable for what amounts to a one-person, after-hours job.

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. In other words, top-of-the-line government hardware was quietly swapped out for budget consumer-grade chips. Investigators said many of the altered machines were subsequently reconnected to the agency's network — a detail that raises serious questions about potential security vulnerabilities.

Investigators found 13 emails from Newegg recognizing a $200 trade-in value for each of several parts. Financial records also showed that Liu received a $200 credit on three different dates from Newegg, on a Delta SkyMiles Platinum credit card. The profit motive, at least on paper, appears shockingly modest given the federal exposure Liu now faces.

Warnings Ignored, Cameras Installed

Although Liu had limited information-technology responsibilities, investigators said his position did not authorize him to alter agency computers. That restriction had been explicitly communicated to him more than a year before his arrest. On March 18, 2025, Port Director Theodore Cummings sent Liu written instructions after discussing the matter with him. The warning was direct and unambiguous — and apparently ignored entirely.

During a September 9 interview, Liu admitted replacing CBP components with older parts purchased from Amazon and Newegg and acknowledged using government components for trade-in credit. The FBI agent said Liu initially told investigators that he altered the computers to improve their efficiency. His explanation later changed. That shifting story likely did little to help his case with federal prosecutors.

Flight Risk and What Comes Next

A source said Liu was apprehended at Bangor International Airport trying to catch a flight back to China, though court records do not confirm the nature of his apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Ruge cited recent and frequent international travel, financial resources, "apparent foreign connections," and a home so close to Canada that an ankle monitor might not keep him in the district — arguments made in favor of keeping Liu detained while the case proceeds.

The case raises uncomfortable questions that go well beyond one man's alleged greed. The layout and staffing of the facility could leave Liu working away from other CBP officers during overnight shifts, as one supervisor typically covered the open ports during midnight shifts, with traffic at Calais routed through the cargo side while Liu's assigned desk was located on the passenger side. That structural isolation, investigators suggest, gave him the cover he needed. As the case moves through federal court, the bigger conversation will likely center on how government agencies monitor the physical integrity of the hardware their most sensitive networks run on — and who, exactly, has access to it after dark.