The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two Chinese nationals, Chuan Geng and Shiwei Yang, with illegally exporting tens of millions of dollars’ worth of Nvidia AI chips and other restricted technology to China.
The DOJ said the pair operated a California-based firm, ALX Solutions, and shipped advanced processors, including Nvidia’s H100 GPU, one of the most powerful AI chips available, without required licenses between October 2022 and July 2025.
The chips were routed through Malaysia and Singapore, which the DOJ identified as common transshipment hubs used to conceal exports to China. Despite claiming to export to regional companies, ALX received payments directly from Chinese and Hong Kong-based entities.
Law enforcement seized communications that showed efforts to evade U.S. export laws. Yang also faces immigration charges after overstaying her visa. Both have been charged under the Export Control Reform Act, carrying penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison.
Nvidia confirmed it does not support unauthorized products, noting that diverted chips lack access to services, updates, or support.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security continue to investigate the case, which reflects heightened U.S. efforts to block China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology.
