Intel Core i7 Raptor Lake Refresh Stolen by CBP Supervisor in $105k Theft

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor stole computer hardware from 46 government machines, leaving agencies with degraded systems and a $105,800 bill to fix. The incident demonstrates how internal personnel can circumvent physical security measures to remove valuable hardware such as processors, memory modules, and storage devices. The case illustrates that government facilities can remain susceptible to insider theft if access controls are insufficient, regardless of their overall security posture. The suspect, Terry 'Jiajia' Liu, used his midnight shift privileges to swap high-end Intel Core i7 Raptor Lake Refresh processors for cheaper, older parts.

CBP supervisor swapped high-end processors for inferior parts to cash out

Liu targeted systems equipped with Intel 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh chips, memory modules, and hard drives. He replaced these high-performance components with inferior hardware, sometimes downgrading the machines to use Pentium chips. Replacing the original components with inferior hardware substantially decreased the processing performance and storage capacity of the affected systems. The original systems relied on the faster Raptor Lake Refresh architecture, which Liu dismantled for resale.

The stolen components included Intel Core i7 Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs, which Liu traded in 16 times over a 14-month period from May 2025 to July 2026. He cashed out these processors through Newegg's Trade-In program, receiving between $200 and $210 for each chip. Investigators traced these transactions to build the case against him. The total estimated damage from the theft stands at $105,800, with restoration costs alone reaching approximately $20,460.

Surveillance footage captured Liu swapping components during his midnight shifts, providing clear evidence of his actions. Port Director Theodore Cummings issued a written order restricting Liu from moving any computers or parts, but the theft had already occurred. The FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested Liu for these crimes. We touched on Loongson 3B6600 Desktop CPU Taped Out, in our earlier Intel coverage, but this incident focuses strictly on the domestic theft case.

The case concludes with Liu's arrest and the identification of the specific hardware he stole. Agencies must now replace the degraded Pentium chips and other inferior parts to restore system performance. The $20,460 restoration cost reflects the expense of reversing this insider threat. The event underscores the physical security vulnerabilities within IT infrastructure posed by individuals with authorized access.